


Engaged or whatever...

by Devahhole



Series: EOW [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cute, Daddy Kink, Domestic Fluff, Drama & Romance, Everyone Has Issues, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Smut, Hand Jobs, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Marriage Proposal, Moving In Together, Oral Sex, Perversion, Platonic Kissing, Poor Life Choices, Praise Kink, Real Life, Sex for Favors, Sexting, Tattoos, Texting, Threesome - F/F/M, Threesome - F/M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-13
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2019-01-16 23:18:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 39,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12352593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Devahhole/pseuds/Devahhole
Summary: A day in the life of Hinata Hyuuga. AU, modern NaruHina





	1. Girl Chat

**Author's Note:**

> A chance for me to write domestic NaruHina things and mundane situations.

**_1010_ **

_Congratulations on the proposal Hinadaaa! Don't shake n bake before the marriage you crazy kids! ;D lol_

**_Sak_ **

_Hinata Hyuga! Since when does the media get dibs on personal news? Are you going to step in to clear it up, we know your're not sleep!_

**_Piggy_ **

_Who wants to die? Cos I stg, if I hear one more chirp notification I'm putting my knife'n boots on and all of u inconsiderate bitches r gonna get it. It's 2 A-fuckin-M!_

**_1010_ **

_So let me get this straight, you still own that illegal contraption Ino? Why are you like this?_

**_Piggy_ **

_Ten. Would u like to be murdered right now or later today?_

**_1010_ **

_That's a tough one. I'll have to get back to you on that. You see, death won't bode well with my upcoming schedule…which requires me to be, very much alive…for the most part. So, it's gonna be a no for me. No to murder..._

**_Mari_ **

_"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." (Pride and Prejudice)_

_*Squealing* AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!OMFG!_

_Welcome to the winners circle my love-the ol ball and chain (though men would like to-_

_believe they're the ones on lockdown, that could not be any further from the truth)! Shikamaru and I will-_

_finally have a married couple to double date with, we can even enter a time-share agreement. We've-_

_been looking for takers since we settled down. Ugh this is so precious! Congrats!_

_~Temari Nara_

**_Piggy_ **

_Here we go with the lengthy MLA formatted essays and text signature. We fuckin get it, u went to college and ur happily married! Gosh woman!_

**_Mari_ **

_Fuck off Ino._

_~Temari Nara_

**_Piggy_ **

_Neverrrrrrrrrrrrr._

**_1010_ **

_Never read Pride and Prejudice but I saw the movie-the zombie take on it anyway. So lit. Although, come to think of it-I might've been stoned. I only remember bits and pieces of it._

**_Piggy_ **

_Anyone wanna clue me in to what stirred the text-rapage?_

**_Sak_ **

_Check Insta pig. I can't even formulate a proper explanation._

**_Piggy_ **

_Can u broads, like, cut the cryptic shit. It's way too early to send me on a wild goose chase through social media. Spill the tea._

**_1010_ **

_Hinata is getting married!_

**_Piggy_ **

_Ew, wtf?! Fake married, right?_

**_Mari_ **

_Mmk I'll bite. How does one get, 'Fake married'?_

_~Temari Nara_

**_Piggy_ **

_Aren't u the poster-chick of fake marriage? Lol u tell me Mrs. Three-fake-marriages-later._

**_1010_ **

_Oh brother…_

**_Piggy_ **

_Hinata?! When the fuck, did we discuss this? U don't get to just be happy bitch…_

**_Sak_ **

_Right! She uploaded that pic 20hrs ago. Let's just keep blowing up her phone._

**_Mari_ **

_Real mature ladies. A little support goes a long way._

_~Temari Nara_

**_Piggy_ **

_I'm srry, did we have to go to fuckin Yale to weigh in on our best friends' engagement? Do our dads have to be the mayor of a city just so we can have our own opinions? And do we have to give a FUCK about ur approval? I think the fuck not…_

**_Mari_ **

_:} " Moral Indignation is jealousy with a halo."(H.G. Wells)_

_~Temari Nara_

**_Piggy_ **

_"Quoted like a pompous and privileged cunt." (Ino Yamanaka,2k17)_

**_1010_ **

_Girls, girls, you're both pretty, don't fight. There's enough room in this pack for two blonde bombshells. Darwin's law need not apply here._

**_Piggy_ **

_Anyway, it's short notice but I can't say I'm surprised. She's been dating the guy longer than Sakura's first marriage. Pow, right in the kisser!_

**_Sak_ **

_You can go straight to hell pig. -_-_

**_Piggy_ **

_Been there, done that, skipped therapy. I'm jk Sak! Don't be sucha sour puss._

**_1010_ **

_You have 0 chill Ino Yamanaka._

**_Me_ **

_Thanks babies! Sorry for just getting around to telling you all. The trip to Kyoto was hectic from departure to arrival but seeing dad was satisfying. About the proposing thing…Naruto, he just sorta sprung the question on me. Like a cliche fairytale. I'm just as stunned about it as all of you. Daddy practically busted a gasket, you all know how he gets…he's conservative..._

**_Piggy_ **

_*cough* Racist *cough*_

**_1010_ **

_Roflmao XD_

**_Me_ **

_I'll give you all the deats tomorrow. I'm still overwhelmed…it feels kind of surreal. Me, a fiancé? Ohhh, the ring guys, it's to die for! It's got like an antique feel, it belonged to his late mother. He made a few alterations though but nothing too exquisite. I'm a simple girl after all but still, I literally can't._

**_Piggy_ **

_Great don't._

_Why the fuck r u selling out?_

**_Mari_ **

_She's not selling out. She's in love, there's nothing wrong with marriage. Look at me._

_~Temari Nara_

**_Piggy_ **

_Really? The moment u got married, u became so fuckin snooty and boujee.._

**_Mari_ **

_Your asinine behavior doesn't even warrant a response at this point. -_-_

_~Temari Nara_

**_Piggy_ **

_As indirect as that was, it still counts as a fuckin response, u smart-dumbass._

**_Sak_ **

_Hinata, are you with the knucklehead?_

**_Me_ **

_Yeah in an uber on the way to my apartment. He's tuckered out, s'there something you wanted me to tell him?_

**_Sak_ **

_Nope I'll tell him myself, let him sleep._

**_Me_ **

_Um, ok. Anyway girls, I'll see you tomorrow. You're still helping me pack my junk up, right?_

**_1010_ **

_I am, got nothing better to do this Friday. #singleforever_

_Oi please tell me you have nothing from Ikea, chances are you're missing pieces._

**_Me_ **

_Pricy furniture has never been my thing. Most of the stuff I own either reclines or fold up. Yep, I'm a cheapskate._

**_Piggy_ **

_The correct phrase is, 'I am poor'. It's ok, we've all seen the lawn chairs in the living room, the stacks of paper plates and plastic cups._

**_Me_ **

_Lol shut up you, it's just easier._

**_1010_ **

_Lazier._

**_Mari_ **

_I'll be at your place after work, love! Well lovelies I bid you all adieu. Shikamaru is complaining about the phone light and it's at its dimmest. So prickly. Anyway Mwah, Mwah!_

_~Temari Nara_

**_Sak_ **

_If I don't have to pull another double at the clinic , I'm all yours._

**_Piggy_ **

_…_

**_Me_ **

_It's ok if you can't make it Ino. There's more than enough volunteers. And no, no one is getting paid. It's strictly volunteer work but I truly appreciate everyone who decides to chip in._

**_Piggy_ **

_Ur so poor u can't afford a good and authentic moving service? Didn't ur boyfriend inherit a fuck load of $$$ from some dead author/relative?_

**_Me_ **

_His god father and so what. He's not some type of sugar daddy, I'm not going to leech off him Ino. I have a soul._

**_Piggy_ **

_He's about to be ur fuckin husband, he has to earn you somehow right? Don't go easy on him until u have to. Anyway, I have like two interviews and I swear I'm going to kill every last one of u if I sleep through them._

_They're early as fuck in the morning so, I'll swing by later. I can't guarantee that I'll contribute to stuffing things in boxes but…Congratz Hinata. U totally fuckin sold out but I won't hold it against u. Ur boyfriend may be an idiot but the guy has it bad for u and he's got money. Jesus fuckin' christ! I did it, didn't I? I wrote an essay! Temari Fuckin' Nara, rubbing off on me! Goodnight bitches._

**_1010_ **

_Aww, g'night guise! G'night bride to be!_

**_Me_ **

_Definately going to take some getting used to but I like it. It's doing it for me._

**_Sak_ **

_I'm still shocked. I won't go as far to call you a 'sell out' but this will defiantly change a lot. You know-you, Ino and I, we're day ones, since middle school. So maybe Ino and I are acting like big babies lol. We're just a little slow with acceptance but we usually come around. It just sucks because we haven't been hanging out as often and now this. Marriage, it's such a whirlwind. Mine was. Lol. Hell, a whirlwind is an understatement. Don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic to hear the good news! You've always been the type to fall deeply and as a mutual friend, of the both of you, I know that he's genuine. He's even been impartial towards Sasuke and I, even after the divorce. Don't ever tell him I said so-I'll deny it-but Naruto is a keeper. One of the good guys and he loves you so much, I knew, from the first moment I introduced you both that you would impact each other in a big way. I guess you can say, my match making skills work on everyone else but me. Ha. Dammit, I've gone and made myself cry. Lol. I love you little bug. Sleep tight._

**_Me_ **

_:'( Same, I love you so much. Thank you, for introducing me to the love of my life but don't try and act like your intentions were noble. I was partnered with Sasuke in Bio and you were just trying to get Naruto out of your hair. You're not slick you know. Haha nice try but regardless…if you hadn't switched partners with me, I can't imagine I'd ever feel this great. Nothing will ever change between us. My fiancé-omg I said it. My fiancé* _* hehehe omg. I seriously can't say it with a straight face guys, but, Naruto can…he says wife often too. He's adorable…I'm sorry I'm gushing._

**_Piggy_ **

_Hinata, go the fuck to sleep..._

**_Me_ **

_lol_

* * *

About time the muffling Uber aligned itself with the curb in front of her apartment, it had been 3 a.m. Hinata wasn't sure when she had managed to doze off but the hushed tone of conversing voices seeped into her subconscious. Her eyes fluttered open groggily. The pale ceiling lights were easy on her eyes and she witnessed Naruto, patting down his pocket with one hand, he withdrew his wallet a moment later.

"Sorry bout that, guess I outta pay now."

The Uber driver chuckled, dissmissly waving off his apology with a languid hand, "Flying is a tedious affair, you and your lady must be exhausted. Where are you guys coming in from? If you don't mind my asking."

"Kyoto."

"Oh? Long ways away?"

"Definitely feels like it. S'been a long week, nice to finally be back home."

Naruto chuckled throatily, she could detected the underlying tiredness in his voice. He hunched forward and thrummed through a green leather coin purse; two comically googly eyes peered amidst the dark green. Instinctively, she rolled her eyes at the creature her fiancé chose to stuff his money in. For weeks, she had been teasing him about it, in hopes that he upgraded to a more serious and secure looking wallet. To no avail. The leather skinned frog was here to stay.

There was a time when she thought it was cute. That time overstayed it's welcome.

"The fare?" Naruto inquired, his hair haloed under the compartment lights, pale shocks falling over his forehead as he counted out the cash.

"Ten ryo even," The driver said, clucking his tongue, "need help settling the luggage?"

"Nah, I can handle it from here, thanks though."

Hinata watched her boyfriend turn fiancé hand the driver a wad of cash. The man accepted the loot with a slight bow of his head and a fleeting, 'thank you'. When Naruto twisted around to examine her-and wake her-he smirked, when he realized she was staring back at him. She stuck her tongue out with a worn-out groan, he flashed a lopsided grin, cramming that god-awful wallet safely into the back pocket of his jeans.

"Need a lift?" he asked earnestly, "I'll do it, you and the bags in one go."

She smiled.

"This, I've got to see," her nose scrunches up and she holds out her arms weakly. "I'm gonna be pissed if you drop me."

"You weigh next to nothing, don't make me laugh."

The sapphire facets of her engagement ring gleamed fiercely on her finger. The weight of its promise felt heavy and pure. Her heart staggered wildly in her chest and before she could even think on it, she was being dragged out of the back seat and hoisted into the comforting iron arms of her fiance. She shrieked and giggled, clumsily slipping her arms over his shoulders and nuzzling her cold nose into his heated neck. It felt so toasty, smelled so earthy-with a hint of scented ivy and spicy cologne. The scent she had come to know as his.

Hinata rubbed her ice-tipped nose against a column of vein on the side of his neck. He swallowed, his defined adams apple bobbled. Naruto kneed the door shut and continued to cart her off towards the trunk, bridal style.

"Teasing." He accused playfully, his voice a light rumble against her chest. Tremors nudged down her spine and she sighed.

"My middle name."

"HinataTeasing Uzumaki? Sounds pretty ambiguous to me."

"Already branding me with thee title. You're so sure I won't flake out the day of?"

"You won't, if you know whats good for you."

"Let's say, hypothetically, I dunno what's good for me."

"Then I guess, I'll have to sacrifice the remaining three hours of sleep to get my point across."

"Mmmh, I betcha breakfast in bed, that you'll be out like a bulb the moment you get out the shower. I swear you can never hang after that."

"Alright and what if I stay up?"

"Mmmh, one step at a time."

"Nope, let's level the playing field. If I stay up until work, you owe me a favor."

She raised a quizzical brow, lips pursed as she looked up at him and he pinned her with a heavy blue gaze.

"What's the favor?"

"I'll let you know when I win."


	2. Night cap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto and Hinata nightcap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a fun little fluffy chapter for your heart.

Naruto had fallen asleep halfway through the previews, although if she had to narrow it down to a specific point, she'd say it had been the moment he sprawled out on the bed in his briefs. Hinata had taken to her nightly face care routine; exfoliating, cleansing and moisturizing. Temari recently put her onto a new drugstore product that promised to diminish acne and leave her skin feeling radiant. She had only been using it for two weeks or so but the results were tangible.

"Like a baby's ass." she cooed to her paste smeared face in the mirror, scrubbing the beady concoction along her cheekbones. She sucked in her cheeks to make them hollow and tilted her head to thoroughly work the beads. The tap splashed and swirled down the drain, occasionally she'd catch a palm full of luke warm water and incorporate it into the scrubbing.

She could see his inactive form through the vanity-like bathroom mirror, it's dazzling lights seeped into the bedroom, although the T.V light flickered with activity-strobing the room. The volume was mute. Hinata chuckled.

She knew he couldn't hang and though she taunted him about it, she understood his exhaustion. They had both lent a massive amount of strength to the trip back to her hometown. Traveling wasn't easy, reservations were costly and she was already a bundle of nerves. The trip to see her father was a last-minute decision. She doesn't know how she'll ever repay Naruto, for keeping a clear head with everything that's been going on and randomly planning some trip to another city. He never slipped up and told her, not once. Which had been unlike him.

She glanced at the ring on her finger. She knew she should take it off to preserve it but from the moment Naruto slid it up her ring finger, it's become fused like molten lava. She was also scared to death of losing it.

Time to rinse.

She made quick work of cleansing and moisturizing. Afterwards she shed her bathrobe and the towel stylishly wound around her wet hair. Wet waves of dark, damp, hair cascaded around her shoulders and back. The room is slightly drafty but it was welcome.

"Garcon! I'll be having the grits, eggs and bacon." She teased, walking towards his dresser stark naked and rejuvenated. There was nothing like being back in their own home. As much as she loved her father, his strict religious ways and customs could be a bit stifling. She and Naruto couldn't even sleep together nor could they wear any of the clothes they had taken the time to pack. The whole trip took some getting used to, for both of them. Her father was so hung up on spirituality and didn't take too kindly to Naruto initially. She still wasn't certain if he had warmed up to the whole idea or not but he'd have to get with the program—or pretend to at least. They were engaged now.

"Not sleep, just resting…eyes," Naruto claimed belatedly, around a big drawn-out yawn.

"Last famous words. It's ok, go to sleep weakling."

"Pft," he huffs, "hey hold off on the packing tomorrow, till I get home, okay?"

"It's four a.m so, you mean today and no can do, about time you get here it'll be noon."

"And?"

"And," she enunciated, examining a grey Nirvana T-shirt from his second drawer. "That hardly gives us any time to thoroughly go through all the junk in this joint."

"Hmm," he groaned, "Fuck, well, at least let me get some of the guys to help out and stuff."

Hinata pressed the shirt to her nose just to make sure it didn't belong in the hamper. Naruto had a habit of fishing shirts out of the dirty clothes at the last minute. The shirt smelled of lush detergent, his detergent-like ivy, a faint and alluring musk and deodorant. It had been worn but it was passable to not be dispensed in the hamper.

She slipped it over her head.

"Guys, like Sasuke? Gaara? If these are the droids you're suggesting I strongly detest the idea."

He laughed, a scoff-like laugh, it was cute and she couldn't bite back the grin pulling on her jowls.

"What's wrong with Sasuke and Gaara?" he inquired, like a kid after their parents told them to stay away from someone elses' child.

The shirt was baggy and hanging from her limbs. She hugged herself and jumped on her side of the bed. The duvet was crisp and cold under her knees. Naruto was still sprawled out on the edge of the bed, blonde hair disheveled and damp on his head.

"I think they're swell guys but Sakura has a restraining order against Sasuke and Ino threatened to castrate Gaara with a butter knife."

"She's all bark, no bite."

"Do we really want to take that risk though?" She asked ominously, "Be the catalyst of it all going down, in our front yard?"

Naruto sighed, muttering something unintelligible before snapping and pointing at the ceiling.

"Lee?"

"Um, no. He always has a literal hard-on for Sakura and he's creepy in a nutshell. All your friends are creepy and besides we aren't fragile creatures, we can handle a few boxes, tape and bubble wrap."

She says sardonically, leaning over his face, lanky strands of hair brushing his collarbones and muscled tensed shoulders. He opened his eyes, the light from the T.V glitching over his face.

Their eyes lock onto each other in silence for a moment, Hinata slowly lowering her lips to plant an upside-down kiss on his lips.

The first kiss sent flutters down her spine, her heart ached, and her stomach flopped. She peppered kisses along his sharp jaw, long blonde lashes, whiskered cheek birthmarks and lastly a lingering kiss to his forehead.

"Don't worry about us, we're more dangerous than you know."

"Okay, but, how dangerous are you...show me baby," he looked her over through lazy lids, and paralyzingly dark blue eyes. She felt his fingers slipping through her hair, fingertips grazing her scalp, urging her down for another kiss. His lips stroked hers sensually, with every bit of heated passion. It felt hot, slick and heavy. It makes her feel like every bone in her body is tethered to an electric current. 

He sucked hungrily on her bottom lip, his tongue grazing hers as he tilted his head slightly, fingers curling and fisting her hair. He always kissed her like he needed to borrow a piece of her but it's never enough. The corners of their lips slotted and melted into the perfect rhythm yearning.

She moaned into the open mouth kiss, head swimming in ecstasy, heart beating deafeningly through her ears. She reluctantly pulled away, just slightly.

"Don't start." She rasped against his grinning lips.

He bared his teeth in an even bigger grin.

"You smell so good, you look so delicious, it feels like I don't have a choice." it was the voice, that husk that was neither goofy or normal. Intense flutters shook her spine and sides, heat crept up her collarbone and neck.

He raised his head off the mattress to deliver a sweltering kiss to her throat. She squeaked and mushed his face. The skin where his lips grazed felt alive, palpitation central at the moment, though it wasn't the only part of her throbbing. She gritted her teeth and rolled her eyes. 

"Stoppit. We don't have condoms,"

"So." He shrugged, brows raised quizzically.

Hinata gasped in exasperation.

"We're not ready to slip up."

"We won't know unless we try."

"Shut up." She giggled.

"I'll pick some up tomorrow, then you won't have an excuse."

"It's not an excuse it's just, less messy."

"But what's the fun in that, huh? Shikamaru says Temari takes birth co-"

"Aren't you tired, let's watch a movie..."


	3. 9 inch demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata and Naruto share an intimate morning.

Their mornings are never even remotely symmetrical nor cohesive. It all begins with the first alarm, the rambunctious blaring jarred her out of a peaceful slumber. Hinata has grown somewhat tolerant of the assult, no longer does she jolt up right in wide-eyed terror. Annoyed but accustomed to the raucous, repetitive, croaking of frogs in various pitches.

_He deliberately chose the most obnoxious ringtone and it doesn't even phase him!_

Naruto often slept right through the first alarm, leaving her to sort through her sleep-addled mind and irritably drag her languid limbs to his side of the bed. He was always submerged in sweat that soaked the soft eiderdown of their duvet, and she was never conscious enough to be disgusted about it. There was no use in trying to wake him either, he'd only insist that he has two more minutes. It's always two more minutes, even when he exceeded the deadline.

Once she's finally slung an arm over his shoulder, she extends even further until she's clenching the cool, rough edge of the nightstand. She groans, none too pleased about being awake long before she has to be. Inching her fingertips further along the varnished exterior, she bumps the sleek and chilled surface of a cellphone screen. Her tired sinews pop like the springs under the mattress as she recoils with the device, pulling the ear-splitting noise closer. The alarm maintains its grating effect on her nerves.

Naruto remains impervious to the noise, still nestled blissfully into the pillows. The man could sleep through the rapture and a DEFCON level two attack. An alarm seemed pointless, the only thing it succeeded in was waking her.

There were mornings where she suffers through the sound, knifing a look at her oblivious boyfriend, hoping the sound would eventually get through to him—or that her stink-eye was potent enough to penetrate his armored skull. Neither work. Sometimes she takes the easy way out and jabs the volume down a few notches, she glances at the time and says she'll wake him up in two minutes without the alarm. In retrospect, the latter proved to be problematic so it wasn't often she resorted to such measures.

_VVVVRRrrrrrr!_

_**Green Light [Work alarm 1]** _

_**Alert: Minor** _

_**7:30 A.M** _

The phone is a chorus of croaks and vibrations. Hinata rolls onto her back and quickly puts in the passcode (that he doesn't know she knows) to disarm the alarm. The code is textbook, the most basic passkey of all-the last four of his social.

The croaking ceases immediately and so does the tension drilling into her temples.

She blinks through disoriented vision. The screen is bright and jabbing at her eyeballs, she winces, trying to adjust. There are dozens of text notifications and alarm warnings blotting out the background image; Hinata is biting Naruto's cheek, they're sitting in a hazy lurid setting, on top bar-stools. Naruto has one arm tightly slung around her shoulder in a proprietorial way, his eyes are closed and wisps of silver-grey curl around his half grinning lips. She scoffed. The hookah bar.

She looked no better; she had been cupping his other cheek, the stud speckled decor of her nude-coffined nails scintillating. Her body was angled uncomfortably inward and against him. Her bangs side swept, hair pulled from her face and knotted in a high ponytail that accentuated the features she often hid. Her eyes and forehead. One visible eye peered sharply into the lens with a clear message: He's mine.

Being jealous and plastered always brought out the animalistic charm, her possessiveness became the default emotion during those intoxicating nights. She had no idea why he had chosen this image to display to the world. She looked deranged and about ready to fly off the handle. She couldn't remember if she had puked before or after the selfie. The details of that night were a little murky. Whatever night that was.

_VVVVVRRRRrrrrrr!_

_**Yellow Light [Work alarm 2]** _

_**Alert: Moderate** _

_**7:33 A.M** _

The croaks began and she jabbed the snooze.

_Die…damn amphibians!_

"Hey babe, you're on yellow light, you're slipping man," She says, kicking across the bed to nudge his stomach with her toes. He remains immobile. She knew she'd have to take on a austere approach. "Babeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee"

_VVVVVVVVVVRRRRrrr! VVVVVVVVVVVRRRrr!_

Someone is popular. She shot a cursory glance towards the screen just in time to see a message box drop down.

_**Teme[7:34 A.M]** _

_I don't care. I won't be coming in today._

The epithet could only be awarded to one person, Sasuke Uchiha. Fitting that the first thing he writes in the morning is his lack of care for everything under the sun probably. The guy wasn't known for having a sunny disposition. He and Naruto were polar opposites of the spectrum. Hinata didn't feel one way or the other about Sasuke, they had never carried out a conversation as acquaintances despite how deeply they're rooted to the same friend-base. You'd think she'd have conversed with her boyfriend's best friend at least once but nope, the guy never acknowledged her on a personal level. Aside from the occasional nods of courtesy and contributing to random group conversations (more so everyone else and never Sasuke), she has never spoken to the guy.

It's always been something that's bothered her more than she wanted to admit. Sakura has always told her not to take Sasuke's behavior personally but it's been years now and he's never even tried to engage in a trivial conversation. It unnerved her. Naruto has always expressed that his friends were his family, and she knew it to be true. He was an orphan, orbiting through the system since he was a child. His biological parents left a few things to him but he's never truly known what it's like to have a family. Sasuke has known Naruto for years and his approval of her mattered. Especially now.

_VVVVVRRRRrrrrrr!_

_**Red Light [Work alarm 3]** _

_**Alert: Vital** _

_**7:37A.M** _

"Babe. Get. Up!"

She whined, disarming the third alarm and straddling him moments later, tossing the cell back on the nightstand.

The bedroom was still cast in darkness save for the light spearing through the tv. The interactive menu of the dvd continued its loop of music and a comedic scene of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker screaming and plummeting from a tower of bamboo.

She began rocking her hips wildly, the bed grunting with each roll of her hips. It never took long for her to wake up and once she was, she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. She dry humped him longer than she should have. She was wearing nothing under his T-shirt and this all seemed like a recipe for disaster if he woke to realize.

"Two  _mom_ …just two more…I swear." he groaned drowsily, cracked lips agape.

"You've had that and then some, you can get two more minutes of sleep when you're dead," She teased, leaning forward, her fist pressed into the pillow on either side of his head. She rocked her hips experimentally, feeling her plump bottom jiggle slightly.

His eyes were still closed but his brows raised, there were angry red linen marks along his cheek. He groaned.

"I feel dead."

"People who are dead can't feel, so, you're still alive and late for work."

He laughed robotically, fingers carefully rubbing along the smooth, bare, skin of her thighs and beneath the shirt. Naruto gripped her warm hips and began to rock her against him, shifting her towards the prominent bulge stressing beneath his briefs. The moment she met its volcanic pressure a tremor took her unsteady spine.

"You dunno that, no one does, not even your  _dad_. And even if I were dead, you could revive some parts of me," He whispered, eyes still closed, a smirk pulling at his lips. "You're a snake charmer."

"Yeah, well, they don't call it being dead for nothin pal. If people could still feel things after death, no one would fear dying and there would be adrenaline junkies around every corner. Soo, bada-boom, have some logic."

She babbled.

"Fuckin killjoy."

She felt that low rumbling chuckle beneath her as he continued his obvious ministrations. His thumb made gentle circles over her hipbones, the gesture has always relaxed her like a hot cup of cocoa while cocooned in a thick knitted blanket. Still, he always felt entitled to cop a feel first thing in the morning. She spoils him or he spoils her, either way they were both getting something out of this.

"Death is serious, there's no joy to be had."

"Really?"

She could tell he didn't care about the topic, saying, ' _really_ ' was only a way to keep her talking and distracted. Her legs shook, knees buried on either side of his hips.

The latched hands at her hips heaved her along the knotted length of him. Her heart faltered minutely, skin broke out into a searing sweat.

"Oh my god, you're insatiable, persistent and you're seriously going to be late." She warned, her skin tangled. She groaned weakly when she felt his fingers splay against her ass—and grope around her, bracing her repeatedly. He thrusted his hips off the mattress to grind deeper into her. The contact was thorough, paralyzing and urgent. She could feel him through his briefs; hard, throbbing and ready.

"Don't care, unless I get us off, this is all that's gonna be on my mind anyway. I'll blame you when they ask about my frequent trips to the restroom. You know, I'm not ashamed to admit that I need release at work, you're always on my mind  _Hina_."

_Hina._

She liked how he drawled the name, how it held a weight even though it had only been two letters shy of her real name. It was a desperate plea to touch her inside and out. Normally, after the alarms bombarded her and she fussed at him about it, he sets off grouchily on a mission to make up for lost time and hurry to work but today was a variant morning. A horny morning.

She couldn't fault him on it, the whole trip to her dads granted them no time to indulge in each other. They were constantly being torn apart and dragged off to a temple of praise. One time, her father had managed to keep Naruto away from her for an entire day. It was hell and bullshit but she just bit down and bared it.

If she was being honest, she probably sex more than he did. When he proposed all she could think of was jumping him then and there, expressing her acceptance verbally and wholly. The idea was short-lived the moment her father interrupted their minor celebration to grill Naruto about religion and conversion.

"Naruto.."

There's a hitch in her breath that she knows he can hear. He loops an arm around her waist, forearm pressed tightly against the small of her back. Hinata falls forward, chest pressed against his. Her shirt hitches up and the feel of his abdomen pressed against the taut of her stomach is enough to make her head spin. She trembled with untamed energy, feeling her body start to lose its composure.

"I'm gonna lose my mind…if I don't get to fuck you right now." He throatily vows, his eyes are already half-mast when he gazes into her eyes. She bites on her bottom lip, the nerves in her body going haywire.

"We can't have that," She whispered menacingly with a grin, ducking her head down and dragging her tongue up the corner of his lip—to his cheek. She bit him, hard and rubs silky lips over the faint mark. Naruto groaned, keeping that iron grip on her backside with one hand, yanking the shirt further up her body so that more of their skin could touch. Warmth began to pool in her chest and coat her stomach in an indescribable feeling. She assisted him in taking off the shirt, her body spasming with anticipation.

Unceremoniously, the blonde flips them over, crushing Hinata into the groaning mattress. She giggles despite having the air temporarily knocked out of her.

"Graceful beast."

"For you I give nothin but the best."

"Nice slogan, selling cars?"

"Eerily fitting since you're about to take a ride."

"Corny, cunning, dirty," She laughed, tickled by the remark. "Well if it runs smoother than the Dodge in the front yard…I s'pose-"

"Keep laughing." He threatened huskily, biting on the tinder skin of her throat. Hinata's eyes rolled to the back of her head, her brain buzzed with white noise and her toes curled.

She moaned, pliantly offering her neck to the all-encompassing feeling of being absorbed.

The apartment creaks, the bed complains.

He pulls back, brushing webs of hair from her eyes.

The satin blankets are cold on her naked skin. She swallows hard, watching the vague reflection of herself in those dark kyanite eyes. Before she met Naruto, she didn't give any thought to the different changes of a person's eye color. She has always been captivated by his eyes, the way that they can shift from Icy blue like jagged frost to a warm shimmering ocean blue. They were transparent gateways, allowing her to see deeper into him, unguarded.

"You wanna?"

"I do."she says, the need making his voice quiver.

She propped herself on her elbows, watching him smoothly rid himself of those painfully constricting briefs. The monster is uncaged, plopping heavily against his toned thigh. Hinata can never not look at it and not be astonished that she's the girl that thing gets to destroy. Sure it sounds horrifying and at first it truly was intimidating. Naruto hardly looked like the type to pack something so deadly but there it was. A running gag amongst her friends.  _The nine-inch demon dick,_ famously named by Ino.

Before he can ask, she sinfully spreads her trembling legs, watching him crawl forward to occupy the space between them. Her skin feels like it's on fire, he places a damp tender kiss on one shoulder and then the other, his bedraggled hair tickling her cheek. His lips stroke over her collarbone thoroughly, her body is trembling so heavily, she can hardly get a grip on her overflowing emotions.

" _Naruto—Naruto—uh—yes-god,"_

He gropes her breast, licking over her pinched rouged nipples. She gasps, squirming and breathing out a soft, ' _yes'._  His lips are like feathers, her nipples are overly sensitive, her body ticking with every flicker of his tongue, the lewd noise of his saliva as he starts to suckle lightly.

She feels enveloped in some sort of strange daze that almost makes her want to cry. Hinata's fingers massage the fine blonde hairs sticking to the nape of his neck as she tries to ignore the overwhelming pulsations of her slick sex.

"Don't stop—god, don't stop!" she moans, chanting between gasps for breaths, head thrown back in pure ecstasy, back arched off the bed.

He always gets her with it, he knows where start.

_VVVVVRRRRrrrrrr! VVVVVRRRRrrrrrr!_

The noise is easily ignored, neither seem to register the urgent vibration. The air around them feels hot and oppressing, which is odd because it's normally colder than the arctic and that's one of the reasons she hates when he gets out of bed. The heat evacuates with him.

Naruto is always animalistic with her, in a way that none of her ex's ever were; which might've helped them. He likes to leave red-purpling bruises, he enjoys when Hinata scratches down his back like some sort of demonfied kitten.

They both know that even though the deadline for Naruto to be at work has passed, they should still try and be done at a decent time.

It doesn't shock her when she feels the thick head of his cock probing the swell of entry. He pulls himself out and flickers her clit with the tip. She whimpers, feeling that velvety wad of tension rubbing along up and down her wet folds. Abruptly, he presses the tip back into her throbbing channel. They both moaned in union, waves of pleasure curling throughout her body.

"You feel so fuckin' good baby…I'm about to lose it." Naruto utters, with a tormented groan.

She relished that feeling, his firm cock applying pressure and then he snapped his hips forward burying himself to the hilt. She choked out a scream, arching her back off the mattress. The blonde hides his face in the crook of her neck and Hinata takes this as a sign that the tightness is unbearable. She felt full, his cock filling every bit of her.

The painful but pleasurable sensation of him pulsing inside rendered her speechless as she tried to adjust to the heaviness of him.

"D'you need the pillow?" he asks lightly, concern coating his tone.

Her ears are ringing, her eyes won't stay open, she feels like an absolute mess of blood and sweat.

"N-no…just do it please."

The girth and size were no small dosage and if she hadn't been so sopping wet, she would have probably been screaming her lungs sore. The pillow method or what Naruto calls,  _'training wheels'_  or as Ino calls it,  _'demon dick training'._  This consisted of Hinata laying on top an army of pillows to lessen the uncomfortable feeling that pressures her stomach whenever they had sex. She hasn't needed the pillow in a long time—the slight pinch of pain often failed to register when they got lost in themselves and it became enjoyable. Addicting even.

"Let me know if it's too much." He says, a bruising grip on her hips, staring at her with pure adoration.

Hinata could feel the tension, could feel that energy surging through him like the frantic flow of blood. His stamina was never in short supply and she was already preparing herself for the reckless abandon. The passion is always reckless.

* * *

Hinata wasn't one hundred percent sure about the pullout method, she had befriended multiple women who had gotten pregnant due to the transient assurances of their significant others. In the heat of the moment, common sense seemed nothing more than elevator music and all that mattered was completion.

She often gets so far gone that she begs for it, she asks for him to cum in her but she had only been brave enough to do so when they were protected by a sturdy Magnum. She knew better than to do so this time. Naruto took the reluctant move to pulling out a minute before coming. He jerked himself furiously whilst Hinata idly licked the bulbous head of his cock, tasting the blend of their juices. She enthusiastically rubbed her tongue over the beading slit, purposely salavating all over him and slurping around him. She knew he appreciated the noise and filth.

He gasped. Muscle threaded abs constricting while he watching her. He pumped harshly and his breathing increased, eyes blown with lust. It wasn't until he began to make those feral telltale noises that she knew he was nearing his end. Hinata wrapped her mouth tightly over him and downed his pulsating cock, bobbing her head down his impressive length, milking him through the intense orgasm. She felt it spritzing flavorlessly and thickly down her throat. She chanced a glance at him, he could hardly stand on two feet, still thrusting involuntarily. He runs his fingers over his face mere look of his disarray was enough to make her swallow and keep it down.

"Good girl." He whispered exhaustedly, hooking a thumb in her mouth and tugging her jaw up. He leaned in to kiss her, messy and open. Hinata tried not to think about the butterflies in her stomach erupting into content flutters of chaos.

* * *

Once Naruto had finally set out to work, satisfied—after bugging Hinata about where his belongings were, she ran herself a bath. She  _Jordan'd_ a pearl iridescent bath bomb into the tub from the hallway. Normally she watched the whole thing dissolve and marveled at the science but she was already behind.

She fetched a few sundries for aftercare and hopped in the metallic and pink sudsy water. The tub wasn't very roomy, the core purpose was probably to shower but she enjoyed a good soaking after battling demons. She needed it, with a shimmy, she slunk down until the back of her head could rest on the porcelain edge.

She sighed.

Her body felt sore, the marks of her lover's teeth stung the moment the water licked it's rawness. She had brought her phone inside to peruse Amazon for wallets-with-character. She had tagged a few and placed them on her Wishlist, more ideas wouldn't hurt.

_VVVVVRRRRrrrrrr!_

**Sak [8:44 A.M]**

_Wyd baba? Asking for a friend._

**Me [8:45 A.M]**

_Lol, I'm stewing, the kids are gone, I can finally let my boobs out._

**Sak [8:45 A.M]**

_Omg shut up. Pretty sure your boobs were out while the "Kids" were home. Whore._

**Me [8:46 A.M]**

_^_^ Sakura, I'm the good one._

**Sak [8:47 A.M]**

_Don't "I'm the good one" me._

_You forget Naruto is a mutual friend. I've read things from over his shoulder that would send your father into cardiac arrest._

**Me[8:48 A.M]**

_:X_

**Sak [8:49 A.M]**

_You wanna hit up the mall with me in 30 min's or so? I'll be on break._

_I miss our little slice of life meetings. I need to vent and stress shop, I'm seriously on edge._

_**Me [8:50 A.M]** _

_30 mins? Sure. And we've literally never had a, 'Slice of life meeting'. I'm like the priest you and Ino bring your heinous sins to._

_**Sak [8:55 A.M]** _

_HAHAHA. That's why we love you! You accept that there's no saving us._

_We have backstage passes to hell._

_**Me[8:56 A.M]** _

_Save it for the judge Haruno, see you in 30. I'll be the girl limping._

**_Sak [8:56 A.M]_ **

_Gross! Cya then._

_VVVVVRRRRrrrrrr!_

**Nine-inch-demon-dick[8:57 A.M]**

_Lunch w/me beautiful? :)_

She sighed at the new name programed into her phone. She could tell from the previous conversation history that it had been Naruto. Ino must've changed it, she was always going through Hinata's phone and sending game provisions from Hinata's Facebook page to her own.

**Me [8:58 A.M]**

_You still owe me breakfast but I'll see if I can work you around the 'rigorous' packing. :*_

_And another thing pal, are those alarms necessary?_

**Nine-inch-demon-dick [9:00 A.M]**

_Necessary? No really._

**Me [9:05 A.M]**

_Then what gives man -_-_

**Nine-inch-demon-dick [9:07 A.M]**

_I just prefer the way you get me up better. Pun intended._

_See you for lunch baby, don't wear panties._

_Oi another thing can you bring the portfolio on the kitchen table. Thx._

**Me [9:08 A.M]**

_Insatiable, tooth rotting sweet and cheesy. My favorite combo in a guy, yum._

_I will bring your portfolio nerd! Lol. Jk. Love you._

_Buy the condoms and I may wear something scanty and easy._

**Nine-inch-demon-dick [9:18 A.M]**

_I'm on it._

_If your dad only knew._

**Me [9:20 A.M]**

_You know plenty…daddy. ;D_

_Have fun at work, see ya soon..._

**Nine-inch-demon-dick [9:25 A.M]**

_You're gonna wind up pregnant…_


	4. Slip Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura's P.O.V
> 
> Sakura's secret.

_**Sakura P.O.V** _

* * *

_**CaptainAsshole [9:30 A.M]** _

_Can we at least discuss this like rational adults?_

_**Me [9:32 A.M]** _

_Oh? Suddenly you're an adult?_

_**CaptainAsshole [9:33 A.M]** _

_I had the right to know, Sakura._

_**Me [9:35 A.M]** _

_Excuse me?_

_You forfeited the, "right" long before the divorce asshole!_

_**CaptainAsshole [9:40 A.M]** _

_You see, this is what I mean, we can't find common ground_

_without you bitching about the past. Which I can't out-live since you seize every_

_opportunity to throw it in my face. It's on both of us._

_**Me [9:45 A.M]** _

_Wow. Haha. Both of us. I'm not even going to go there…_

_I do not recall asking for, "common ground"?!_

_I wouldn't be bitching if you_

_hadn't decided to stick your nose in my business once again! We_

_aren't even together and I wanna fucking kill you!_

_**CaptainAsshole [9:47 A.M]** _

_Relax.._

_**Me [9:49 A.M]** _

_HAHA that's rich coming from you!_

_Stay in your lane and stop popping up and talking to my colleagues_

_when I'm conveniently not around._

_The fact that you know changes nothing…_

_**CaptainAsshole [9:52 A.M]** _

_You're wrong about me, Sakura._

_**Me [10:00 A.M]** _

_That confession is 2 years too late._

_**CaptainAsshole [10:10 A.M]** _

_I've changed._

_I want to help you, maybe set up some type of fund._

_**Me [10:11 A.M]** _

_Feeling philanthropic?_

_I don't need you. Sound familiar? It should. :)_

_**CaptainAsshole [10:18 A.M]** _

_So, I take it you're going to continue this petty rampage then?_

_There's no getting through to you._

_**Me [10:22 A.M]** _

_Goodbye Sasuke, if you ever cared about me, you'd leave me the hell alone,_

_like I asked two court orders ago._

_Nothing's changed, it's only gotten a hell of a lot worse._

_You're that flame I should have never touched but I've never been the type to learn from their mistakes._

_I knew that it would hurt but you know how that goes…_

* * *

"Can we just skip straight to the part where I demand to know why you're dressed like a private investigator in a cheap porno? Or will that blow your ridiculous cover?"

They met in the chaotic food court, hugging amidst a clutter of tables, chairs, raving mall dwellers and bustling concession stands. People stood impatiently in lengthy lines, a clique of overzealous teenagers trooped past them and a baby cried furiously amongst the indistinct chatter.

The women broke their hug, looping at the arm. Sakura peered pointedly at her friend, a delicate brow raised. The brunet tossed back her dark lustrous hair and they began to walk aimlessly at a snail's paste. Hinata's cheeks retained a pinch of vibrant pink. It was quite nippy outside. Sakura had donned a toasty burgundy fleece, over her scrubs with a grey cashmere scarf wound snugly around her neck.

"Don't get me wrong," Sakura began to clarify, "You're definitely pulling it off. A dead ringer for an Asian Carmen Sandiego but what the fuck?"

Hinata giggled, tossing her head back with that stupid little cackle that almost always swept Sakura into laughter for no reason. She clearly wasn't in on the joke.

"This should be good."

"I'm not wearing anything under it." Hinata stopped laughing long enough to confess but sputtered back into that fitful laughter, leaning against Sakura like a crutch and placing a hand on her shoulder to steady herself.

Sakura gawped and gasped.

"What?! Nada?!" Sakura hissed in secret, although no one could hear them anyway. She could scarcely hear her own thoughts, which were normally shouting to gain her attention.

"Free vag'ing."

"Are you tripping balls?!"

"Not this time."

Sakura howled with laughter, "Why? What the hell has gotten into you?"

Hinata was still laughing and struggling to breathe. The girl was on the verge of tears, waving a gloved hand to try and reign in the rib compacting laughter. She was sucking in small breaths, pale lavender eyes glassy. She dabbed at the unshed tears with a clothed knuckle.

"This isn't even the  _kicker_ ," she cried out, her peachy lips trembling as she tried to stifle the comical seizure and choke out an explanation. Her entire body rattled, the contagious laughter affecting both women. She had never seen Hinata so giddy and frighteningly abashed.

"Spit it out," She smiled weakly, "You know I could use a good laugh right about now."

"Ok….ok…ok—ok," she sniffled and huffed, "So, I called myself trying to surprise Naruto at work yanno?"

Sakura gave a terse nod, "Following. Go on."

"He and I were s'pose ta meet for—for lunch but since you had that set back at work, I decided to go earlier and while I was in the parking lot the wind just started being a dick and punching me around," she stated animatedly using jerky gestures with her fist, to convey the magnitude of the callous weather. She licked her lips and sighed in breathless exasperation, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. "Anyway, so I was grabbing take out from Ichirakus out of the back seat and,"

A tortured giggle slips, "mid bending over to get it…the wind just swoops up the trench coat and whoosh, I'm mooning the  _entire_  parking lot. It was so  _mortifying_ , I want to  _die_  because I looked over and someone was there, someone we know-oh god."

"Oh my god, when trying to be slutty goes horribly wrong! Epic fail!" Sakura chortled, realizing they were nearing the slightly vacant food court exit.

An older couple hobbled past them with placid smiles, the women responded in kind.

"Old couples are so damn adorable, I just wanna kidnap them and copy their cheat codes to life. So sweet, I hope Naruto and I make it to be prunely and passive." Hinata commented, in hushed awe. Sakura rolled her eyes, although she had to admit it was a beautiful thing to witness but a poignant reminder that nothing lasts forever. Flowers wilt, so does love, so do people.

She tried to shake her cynical attitude but it's become fused into her, like an afterthought.

"Getting off track, finish the-the story, who did you flash?"

Sakura reversed them with a smooth pivot, her dull orthopedic sneakers shifting against the linoleum. The closed in space of the court wafted scents of sweet dough, zesty sauce and sulfuric eggs. As they neared the masses once more, she could smell dizzying colognes and body spray.

_Everything smells so...disgusting._

She inhaled, immediately regretting it when a nauseous feeling clogged her gullet and something in the pit of her gut churned. She tried to swallow down her stomach lurching up into her esophagus. She froze, trying to get her bearings.

_Fuck this feeling! Just kill me!_

Her fingers prickled with sweat and she took several calming breaths, hoping to deter the bile attempting to erupt.

"You don't look so hot. You ok hon? " Hinata inquired, cocking her head to the side like an observant pup, light amethyst eyes observing her with worry. Sakura hesitated, sweat beading her furrowed brow. Hinata rubbed comforting zigzags down Sakura's back as she bent in at the waist, palms digging into her knees. Heart beat intensifying.

"If I hurl right here, will you still love me?"

Hinata laughed, "I've got your hair, go nuts,l. I've never been kicked out of a mall before."

Sakura snorted, feeling Hinata smooth back her hair with care.

"There's a first time for everythi-PLEEEEEEEAAH!"

Maybe it would do her some good to tell someone, at least one of her friends.

* * *

_**Tsunade [7:00 A.M]** _

_Your husband came by and he seemed shell shocked about the news._

_Thought you would have revealed it to him by now, I apologize Haruno._

_**Me [7:05 A.M]** _

_Ex-Husband. You blabbed, didn't you?_

_**Tsunade [7:10 A.M]** _

_Ex?! Oh crap, oh no, Haruno I'm sorry to hear…I had no idea you two called it quits. Since when?_

_Is he the baby's father?_

_**Me [7:15 A.M]** _

_He's nothing…_


	5. N.U

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the conclusion of the last chapter. A bit of angst(a smidge). The next update we finally get to the packing, friends meeting up, the visitor that came over uninvited. Really good treat coming up. Thanks for reading.

"Sasuke?" Hinata asked, propped against the bathroom door, arms folded.

"Sasuke." Sakura confirmed, nodding weakly into the crook of her arm. She had collapsed on the cold tiled floor of Hinata's bathroom, arms circling the lid of the hissing toilet. She looked miserable; slouched, with her legs tucked beneath her.

Hinata had helped her out of her shoes at the door and fetched her a pair of Naruto's dark gray joggers and a crisp white T-shirt from her dresser. Sakura was a trembling mess, crying and exhaling the rancid aftermath of whatever the hell she hawked up at the mall. Lucky for them the janitor was in close quarters and easy to flag down from a distance. No one the wiser aside from a few observant stragglers on their way out.

"I can't believe I'm going to be one of  _those_  women," Sakura laughed bitterly, spitting into the toilet bowl with a sniffle, "I've really gone and messed myself up, Hinata."

Hinata watched Sakura's dullened green eyes vanish behind her eyelids, tears slinking down the corners of her eyes. She was shaking like a leaf in the wind, trying not to make her agony vocal.

"Please don't cry, it's just as contagious as yawning," Hinata teased, her chest knotted at the sight of Sakura in pain.

The brunette had changed into a snug pair of navy yoga pants and a gaudy, orange, long sleeve shirt of Naruto's. The letters,  _N.U are_  stenciled in white over the chest. Her fiancé had long since banned her from wearing his workout clothing, complaining that he was sick of the makeup smudges or the fact that she never liked to give them back but she isn't wearing makeup today.

That would be her argument when he inevitably approached her about it. It's always funny because he never flat out calls her out on it, he always says;  _'looks familiar,'_ Or her personal favorite, ' _I've got one just like that.'_ Knowing all along that it's his.

Hinata crouched down behind Sakura, raking her nails across her back soothingly.

"Wanna talk about it?"

There was a miniature window, just above the tub, blades of grass in the yard scratched up against the screen. Hinata shot a look towards the window and then focused back on Sakura, smoothing back her hair. Hinata put hugged the pinkettes back. Knowing that if nothing else, she could be there for comfort.

The gesture seemed to only rip a strangled cry from Sakura's throat. Hinata could feel her convulsing under the tensed hug.

Her sniffles grew louder, her tears leaking into the toilet, the skin of her face flushed and trembling.

"I—don't want to—to," she gasped, "I don't want-to have it, I can't, it'll only make me think of—of—the last time a—and I can't do it again Hina—ta."

She choked up, voice quivering. Hinata hugged her tighter, with as much strength as she could muster.

"I know, I know," Hinata cooed into her ear, closing her eyes, "We don't have to talk about that right now, ok?"

Sakura's head shook against her chest but she wasn't sure if it were a response or twitch from her anguished cries.

She felt her arms were the only thing keeping Sakura from shattering. Which said a lot. Hinata had never known Sakura to break under any obstacle, she always had a high tolerance for most things. She even tolerated her ex-husband, longer than most people could. The girl regulated every aspect of her life with an iron fist. She was a driven doctor in the children's clinic and very determine to one day branch off into her own practice. Hinata has always seen Sakura as an inspiration, since they were kids and she developed a type of undying respect for her as time went on.

No one could get to her quite like how Sasuke could, it's always been easy for him to dismember her, though she always tries to act tough in his company. Hinata had always thought of him as Sakura's Achilles heel, and even though she had never shared a word with the man, Hinata kind of hated him at times like these.

"We could tell Ino," Hinata says, trying to fight the sly smirk on her face, "You know she hates everyone, we could just egg her on, groom her into her full killing potential…you know she's begging for a reason to unleash her true form."

Sakura choked up a laugh.

"God no, she won't just stop at Sasuke, she'd go mad with power."

Hinata chuckled.

"That would be like opening Pandora's box."

"Yeah, besides, it's not all on him. I hooked up with him—and I knew I shouldn't have but when we get around each other…" she trailed off, Hinata rested her head between Sakura's shoulder blades. "It's just easy to fall into old habits, to feel a certain way—and I knew that, and I knew I shouldn't but something in me just wanted to test the waters.  _Tch_ , look where that got me. Down a waterfall, jagged rocks waiting below."

Hinata could hear Sakura huff out a breath.

"Yanno, If you didn't have a career in the medical field, you could've taken up a job as a _, narrator of doom._ You just express it so well. You have me, Naruto, Ino and everyone else in your corner…we'd never allow you to narrate your own demise. Not willingly."

"Shut up," Sakura laughed, "Why're you so silly?"

"Naruto is just as contagious as yawning. He's a disease."

"I believe it, you two are starting to act similar."

"Thanks."

"Wasn't a compliment, nerd."

"Fuck you."

Both women chuckled.

"Don't tell Ino, she'll only bring up those Harry Potter test results. Remember, she tried to convince me to ditch him then."

"Well, she might've been on to somethin. He was sorted into _Ssssssslytherin_ ," Hinata hissed, impersonating a dark accent that Sakura couldn't place with any of the actors.

Sakura laughed, "Yeah but so was she!"

"Team Hufflepuff!" Hinata falsetto, doing a dance with her shoulders.

"Woot, woot!" Sakura croaked. "Squad. We're so underrated though."

"True, we hardly got any airtime in the movie. Fuckin Gryffindor drama queens. It's like trying to get into a good college these days, you've literally got to have a self-fulfilling prophecy and be running from the source of all evil. In our case, student loans."

"Isn't Naruto Gryffindor?"

Hinata nods.

"Unfortunately, and he thinks he's the  _messiah_ because he's the only one to get that house out of our crew."

"No surprise there, he's always been his own hype man," Sakura sighs, pausing for a beat before closing her eyes, "So, Sasuke knows. I didn't want to involve him, especially since I didn't know—well, I still don't know, if I want to keep it."

Her voice lowered when she said, ' _it'._ Hinata could tell the option didn't seem favorable, even though Sakura might've considered it.

"You didn't tell him? How did he find out?" Hinata asked and then as a funny afterthought, "Did he bug your cunt?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Don't even kid about that, if he had his way he probably would."

"Wow, curiouser and curiouser about this Sasuke character."

She meant it. Sakura describes him one way and Naruto describes him in another way. Both sides conflicted each other and Hinata didn't know whose side was more accurate. Naruto always claims that Sasuke is a good guy at heart, albeit hardheaded and insensitive at times but he really tries hard to be as extroverted as Naruto. Sakura on the other hand, claims Sasuke is a Dementor who basically feeds off souls for a living. Sakura always says he cares for only himself and wants to control everything around him.

_Which is he?_

"My boss slipped up and told him, she had no clue about the divorce. I keep my business on lock, still wear my ring, it's kind of hard to part with," Sakura held up her hand and there it was; a golden band with Sasuke's family emblem encrusted in crushed ruby and white diamond.

It was stunning, glinting sharply even beneath the dim lights. Like golden shocks of electricity.

Sakura nudged the ring with her thumb, uncrooking it. "Can't really butcher her for wanting to congratulate him, no one knew. There's no reason he should have been lurking around the clinic."

"Isn't he tired of going to court, dammit?" Hinata asked, propping her chin on Sakura's shoulder.

She could smell a fragrance she knew as _'Moonlight'_. Sakura always goes to bath and body works to stock up on the stuff. Hinata hated it, it always stings her nostrils with its volume of saccharine. The potency of the fumes always made her want to sneeze.

"Evidently not, he doesn't give a fuck." Sakura replied, "If there's anything that I've learned coming out of this marriage, it's that once Sasuke is on a path, nothing is going to knock him off…illegal or not."

Hinata tilted her head so that she was looking her friend in the eye, brows raised.

"You think he'll pressure you into getting rid of it?"

"No, he's team bastard baby. I'll regret saying that later."

"Really, he's onboard?"

Sakura nodded, "He keeps declaring that he's changed, like that's supposed to get me crawling back. He's said this shit before. It always feels like he's changed at first, mostly because I want to believe it so badly that I tune out the roaring signs. I always go back, like a pathetic dumbass and then he gets tired of pretending and morphs back into the prodigal asshole everyone knows him as. I can't keep doing it Hinata, I have to take a stand at some point. Tired of backtracking."

Hinata nodded, "You're still nuts about the guy aren't you?"

Sakura simply closed her eyes.

"The idea of who I thought he could be, not the reality of who he happens to be."

"Deep."

"Yeah, I think I've recovered from my puke-session. I have nothing left to say to your toilet, it's taken all that I've eaten."

Hinata refused to look into the toilet bowl, she might puke just from the sight of the gruel.

"What time is it?" Sakura asked.

Hinata slid her phone across the tiled floor and tapped the home button.

"Two fifty-nine."

"I've gotta make a call into work," Sakura groused, "I don't have it in me to pull another all-nighter."

"So, you're not going back in?"

"Hell no, we have to get a head start on boxing this place up. Everyone is bound to be late."

"Thanks Sak, you're a lifesaver."

"Thanks for being the human wall I puked behind. I am forever indebted to you."

"It's on the house. It's what my husband would do."

"Oh my god, you two  _are_ annoying. Ino was right."

* * *

**Nine-inch-demon-dick [2:50 P.M]**

_Gonna be a lil late night baby, sorry. Don't wait up. :(_

_**Me [2:59 P.M]** _

_Don't tell me what to do. -_-_

**Nine-inch-demon-dick [3:00 P.M]**

_I'm kiddin. Do you want anything from the store?_

_**Me [3:01 P.M]** _

_Yogurt and pretzels *_*. I've been feening for it, like a coke whore sniffing out a line._

_**Nine-inch-demon-dick [3:03 P.M]** _

_Your experimental appetite is a plus._

_Foodie to foodie, it's a turn on._

_**Me[3:05 P.M]** _

_You're a bigger foodie than I. I'm just breaking_

_into this business. You're a seasoned foodie._

_My sensei, who gets restaurant coupons for being a frequent customer._

_Teach me your ways sexy-sensei! ^_^_

_**Nine-inch-demon-dick [3:08 P.M]** _

_It's my ninja way, I'll teach you some day._

_Hey, thanks for lunch btw._

_Everything tasted pretty good, so did the food._

_**Me [** _ _**3:10 P.M]** _

_Haha. You win, I've no come back._

_**Nine-inch-demon-dick [3:20 P.M]** _

_That's a first. I can still taste you, smell you, can hardly focus._

_**Me [3:30** _ _**P.M]** _

_Lies, I'm not in the mood to sext you. Cut it out._

_Lol but I miss you…_

_**Nine-inch-demon-dick [3:35 P.M]** _

_Miss you too shit stuff. I'll be home soon as I can. Keep the bed warm._

_*short stuff_

_**Me [3:40 P.M]** _

_The bed is never safe or warm without you._

_You're like a security system, a dildo and a plushie all rolled into one._

_I love you, nerd._

**Nine-inch-demon-dick [3:55 P.M]**

_Your weird way of saying, I'm the total package, huh?_

_Love you kitten but I gotta crack down on this stuff if I wanna make it home._

_Send me a pic, wanna see your pretty little face. That should motivate me._

_**Me [3:57 P.M]** _

_You're the total package, the only package with a decent package..._

_Catch my drift? -wiggles eyebrows-_

_Hurry home, I'll be waiting for the food. :p_

_[Image attached]_

_**Nine-inch-demon-dick [3:59 P.M]** _

_Your lips are still swollen. Fuck, you're so beautiful Hina!_

_Cute and evil...I know, you're crazy about the package._

_Man, I really lucked out-tebayo._

_One question tho. Is that my shirt?_

_**Me [4:02 P.M]** _

_Not everything is about you pal._


	6. Thrills

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet Ino. Learn more about Hinata. Cute NaruHina moments. A strange visitor....
> 
> Edit: Omg thank you so much for the pouring of comments and interactions. I was beginning to suspect that no one was reading. So you have no idea how excited I am to know that people actually dig the story. Thanks so much :}

“Is all of, _this_ , necessary?”

Ino shrugs, “It’s a key component to this little soiree.”

“Is it though?” Hinata asked incredulously, scrunching her face up and leveling a knowing stare at her friend. “This isn’t _that_ sort of party and you know it, woman!”

The leggy blonde’s teeth snapped together, she swung a half empty translucent bottle of unbranded liquor at Hinata—pointing it in her face. The clear brew sloshed around and Hinata peered around the blurry end of the bottle to continue staring.   

Ino rolled her eyes, squawking with faux frustration. 

“Look!” she snapped, the red dusk of eyeshadow framed around her teal eyes seemed to _up_ the level of theatrics. “It’s either both of us or neither of us. The booze goes where I go, we’re a package deal. I’ll even share but I refuse to be a pack-mule sober—it just isn’t ideal, especially not after all the shit I dabbled in today.”

It was evident that Ino probably pre-gamed before coming over, Hinata could smell the mint of toothpaste mingling with something sour on her breath. Her eyes were also slightly hooded and she was more antsy than usual. Not completely inebriated but just about.

Hinata sighed, although she paused to admire the unearthly beauty of her friend as she sulked on the veranda, tossing her head back to groan at the sky. Despite being a bit off-kilter, she was still a disarray of beauty.  

“No, I don’t wanna fuckin talk about it.” Ino added to a speechless Hinata, angrily shoving the blonde tresses of hair from her face. Her cheekbones stood out, the crisp climate made them flush, like they had been pinched. The pale and ineffective beam of sunlight haloed the crown of her head and her long hair favored platinum streams of silk.    

Hinata scoffed, fidgeting with the baggy sleeves of her fiancés shirt, she crossed her arms over her chest hoping to heat up, “I take it the interview was a no-go?”

The blonde tapped the toe of her metal tipped combat boots on the granite impatiently. 

“The stupid snooty bitch had me pegged the moment I walked in, she was all smug and shit like she couldn’t wait to give me the boot. Guess they know what side of the track I’m from. Their fucking lost, I could’ve raked in the horniest bastards.”

The disappointment was evident on Ino’s face, though she attempted to restrain herself by laughing and biting her bottom lip. Hinata was expecting her to go off, screaming a whole play by play, whilst she magically extracted a cigarette from her bra but the blonde simply huffed. The neck of the liquor bottle hung between her index and middle finger.

“But fuck it, fuck those prissy shit-pussies. That’s what I get for trying to be a fucking adult. Other, shittier, adults think they’re better than me. The wrong people get to be in charge of this fucked up world!”

A few cars zipped past, muffled music filling the momentary silence. The city was loud; giggling kids, car doors slamming, machinery drilling into concrete and the grating , methodical, wails of a nearby school bus releasing children. Hinata’s eyes wandered to the kids, hitting the street and scattering—sprinting and looking blissfully unconcerned _. Too cute._

She knew it was much too early for she and Naruto, but a girl can’t help but to imagine; waiting on the other side of the street for their hybrid son or daughter to fly into her waiting arms. She already knew it, she’d be a smother mother.  Man, were the little knuckleheads going to hate her. She hoped that they’d have Naruto’s eyes—actually, she hoped they’d have his everything. Then, she could gush around the clock and people wouldn’t scold her for being in love with her kids.

Her whole mind felt like a content purr.

“Hello! I’m on the soapbox not those snot-nosed assholes,” Ino grabbed Hinata’s chin and turned into towards her.

“True. Anyway, sorry it didn’t work out but it’s not the end of the road pig.  Look on the bright side, it’s probably a good thing you don’t work for her. You would probably end up gutting her dogs or something.” Hinata chuckled, trying to comfort the blonde.

Ino smirked deviously, way too enthusiastic to add, “Or her. Nope, scratch that. I’d do the damn dogs first. A real weenie roast at her expense and then I’d make her eat it.”

“Just when I think you can’t get any more barbaric, you make a joke about feeding a women her dog’s testicles,” Hinata commented dryly, lips quirked into a grin. “C’mon in before we catch pneumonia.”

“Joke? Says who?”

“Says me, it’s not worth it. You’ll find something a whole lot better, I’ll help you look,”

She meant it. She had been out of the job game for quite some time due to school but she still knew her way around job hunting and tailoring resumes to better suite requirements. Plus, helping Ino could also help steer her in the direction of an actual job she’d be willing to settle down in. If Naruto had his way she’d be a stay at home wife, with no kids to tend to but constantly chained to the stove, baking goods for his indulgence. It’s a life that most women wouldn’t complain about, after all, there was a time when that’s all men could expect from their wives; a decent meal and sex. That lifestyle was a bit too vintage for her, she needed more purpose than being someone’s wife. She had friends with big hitter jobs and though it was, by far, no competition—she didn’t want to fall behind.

Hinata stepped aside and Ino swaggered in, strutting with a criminal amount of posture—shoulders jutting back. She always looked so calm, tired and graceful. Like someone who just escaped off a runway.

The blonde has always had a statuesque sort of beauty to Hinata. In the early stages of their friendship Hinata recalled being jealous of those legs-for-days, her expansive torso and her unwitting ability to pull off any outfit. The girl could make a trash bag look chic and people would probably ask, _who_ she was wearing.

Despite being capable of pulling off damn near any article of clothing or supply, Ino’s wardrobe frequency stayed locked in on; leather, fishnet, purple, shredded clothing or things that displayed her taunt stomach and whatever atrocious belly ring she purchased at, Spencers. Today she was sporting tight, faded, denim low riders that were ripped along the knee and under the cuffs of her ass. The torn holes exposed the hashmarks of fishnets beneath, stockings pulled up and visible around her upper waist. The dark waistband of the stockings read, _‘Slugger’_ in grey. She paired this with a purple crop top with her signature black leather jacket hanging loosely off her shoulders.

 She has always worn the jacket, since they were in high school. It belonged to her father and it has never properly fit her but that didn’t stop Ino from making it look trendy. The jacket was practically a second skin and there was never a time she was without it. Hinata had always thought of Ino’s attachment as something sentimental, even if Ino could never fess up to it. Ino loved her father, she carries him with her, even though she claims to hate him for leaving her.

“I’ve seen some help wanted ads downtown. Some really notable boutiques, we could try our hand in retail—for now at least. With your style, they’d be dumb not to lock you down.”

“Keep that optimistic shit away from me, I live in the real world, where Disney land isn’t free—not even for kids.” Ino replies brushing her chipped polished fingers along the wall. Hinata rushes her from behind and loops her arms around her friends waist, enjoying the smell of worn leather and potent nicotine. Leave it up to Ino to smell like a bikers lounge.

“Once a cynic, always a cynic.” Hinata chimed, hot cheeks pressed up against the cool texture of leather. Ino scoffed, kicking her shoes off in the kitchen. Prying one boot off with a toe, doing the same to the other. Her toes were coated in crimson polish and poking through the fishnet.

“Till the day they try to kill me, for keeping it real.” Ino agreed. Hinata had no idea who _, ‘they’_ were but she only laughed and shoved off her friend with a yawn.

 Ino slammed the booze down on the marble counter-island with a, _thunk_. She twisted limblessly from side to side, thoroughly examining the dismantled state of the living room and kitchen. Hinata and Sakura had pulled the curtains aside, flurries danced around windows, streams of pale light bursting through every room. Sakura had utilized Naruto’s Beat’s pill, a _Cheap thrills_ instrumental murmured lightly from the living room.

_Favorite part._

_“_ _Baby I don't need dollar bills to have fun tonight,”_ Hinata sung, against the shell of Ino’s ear _, “I love cheap thrills!”_

“Hey sluts, the cool friend is in, where’s the fucking food?!”

There were small piles of debris scattered everywhere, boxes stacked and labeled in Hinata’s elegant script, silver bars that looked detached from some sort of dangerous contraption, a glinting tin tea set arranged on the living room carpet and a video game console hiding beneath a frenzy of dark tangled wires. 

“Where the fuck is everyone else?! Don’t tell me I beat those skanks here? Is this a fake out?”

Hinata shook her head, humming an explanation with the rhythm of the song, “Nope, Sakura’s upstairs, we’re taking a little breather.”

Ino looked around discouragingly, “From what, actual work? Doesn’t look like either of you got much done. You’re both infamously procrastinators.”

“Look who’s talking!” Hinata squeaked feigning disbelief, she flailed an arm to indicate that Ino, herself, had no business casting that particular stone at either of them. “You literally put off anything and everything. Like the time you wouldn’t break up with a boyfriend because you had, and I quote; ‘more important shit to do’.”

Ino pointed and Hinata noticed two silver rings embossed with cat eyes and whiskers. They adorned her long fingers exceptionally well, “Having my priorities straight is important.”

“You were on vacation, with _the guy.”_

“I stand corrected. Plus the dude had already paid for the trip, may as well enjoy the generosity, right?”

“Ridiculous.”

“Jealous!” Ino stuck out her tongue, and licked the tip of her middle finger with a lewd moan. Hinata rolled her eyes.

“I can’t with you.”

Ino laughed, looking around with a cocked head, “Seriously you hoes got nothing done. It looks like Tasmanian devil fled a crime scene.”

 

Hinata couldn’t deny that this was true. She and Sakura got to talking about life and their tasks often took a back seat. Though they both kept their hands working idly, they had done more talking, than packing. Somewhere in between securing framed pictures from the fireplace shelf and stepping on a thumbtack and treating it like a fatal battle wound, Hinata lost the will to keep going.

She lay sprawled out while Sakura gave her the run through of Naruto’s Instagram activity and she laughed at the somewhat stupid things he chose to heart.

He was on a binge liking; frogs _wearing human clothing_ , martial arts tutorials, UFC, manga-anime battles, video games and pranks. Occasionally Sakura would turn the screen towards Hinata when she found something comical or deserving of their reaction. After they fell into fits of giggles about the new internet craze people were attempting, Sakura began investigating something she wasn’t so anxious to share with Hinata.

She decided not to ask either, using this time to surf her own cell and tag Naruto in cooking tutorials. He’d always respond under her tag either _, ‘Frothing from the mouth’_ or _‘We should attempt that’_. They were so fat. Their joint love of food definitely took them to a deeper level of understanding. Hinata bookmarked a few things they mutually salivated over _. ‘We should, at the new place.’_ , she responded to him.

After a while Naruto had to attend a board meeting so he wouldn’t be able to go word from word with her. She pouted and sent him the photo of her face, after sweeping her hair into a disarray, stupidly, she noted as an afterthought. It was too late to take back now.

He sent her an equally heartbreaking photo of his pout, his chin on top his forearm (he had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt) as he sat hunched in the presence of his superiors. Everyone was either old, bitter-looking or falling asleep. Hinata found herself snickering at several people who had comically stale faces.

**_Me [5:05 P.M]_ **

_Are you sure you’re not in a retirement home?_

**_Hubbabubba [5:06 P.M]_ **

_Haha. Hope I don’t wind up like these geezers. Text you soon. :)_

It wasn’t the best moniker to label the love of her life as but, she needed to change it from what Ino had key’d in. A temporary replacement until she could come up with something deserving. She wondered what name was programed into his phone for her. It was probably a thousand times more meaningful than anything she could think up.

_**Me [5:08 P.M]**_

_I’d never let that happen to you. Ok, have fun at Shady Oaks puddin. XD. Stock up on the tapioca!_

 After that she recalled at the ceiling, humming to herself until she drifted off to sleep. Sakura said she had been out for an hour but to Hinata it only felt like a few seconds. Why the hell hadn’t she woken her up? Sakura seemed to be too engrossed in something and Hinata was willing to bet her nonexistent coin collection that it was Sasuke or something narrowly in relation.

“Seriously though, where’s the food? My tanks on E and I can’t drink with an empty stomach, it fucks with my equilibrium. Those hags should’ve been here.”

Ino growled, pulling her back into the present. The blonde stomped off towards the fridge hastily. Hinata leaned backward against the counter and shrugged.

“Sure, make yourself at home,” she said sardonically.

“Why thank you, I knew you’d understand, that’s why I never ask.”

Ino undulates her hips, sinking lower and lower until she was crouching and the fridge door was gaping open. A few condiments jostled in their cages, and Hinata cranes her neck, making a mental note of things she could toss out. The milk had expired two weeks ago and she had been meaning to get rid of it, but she felt squeamish pouring lumpy, sour, milk into the sink. Normally she cowered behind Naruto while he nonchalantly washed it down the drain. Something about it always made her want to wretch up a lung.  

 “Hmmm,” Ino starts to rummage through the crisper and then the shelves, “What the fuck is this stuff, are you guys on some type-ah, _season-less pasta and lettuce,_ diet.”

Hinata chuckled, “No, we’re sick and tired of you looting our fridge.”

“HA-HA!” Ino shouts tonelessly.

Her jacket slunk even lower as she delved further into the fridge, peeking under tinfoil and rustling cellophane wrappers.

“Find anything appetizing inspector gadget?” Hinata asked dubiously.

 Since they’d be moving in before the ending of this week, she and Naruto both decided that grocery shopping could wait until they got they settled into the new flat. They’d just have to get take out tonight—well she would anyway.

Ino withdrew Tupperware, and immediately began prying the orange lid off.

“Chunk-O-brownies, fuck yes, we’re back in business.”

“Naruto’s gonna kill you,” Hinata sang ominously, combing her bangs from her eyes. 

“Pft,” Ino scoffed, hopping up on her toes and kicking the refrigerator door closed, “You’re gonna snitch on me?”

“Duh, otherwise he’ll think it was me.”

“Fucking double agent! He’ll get over it.”

Hinata laughed, fishing her phone from her cramped sports-bra.

“Have you met him?” She asked pointedly, “That lid is orange because he labels things, even I have to ask permission before I just open an orange lid.”

Ino tossed her head back and barked out a laugh.  

“Your fiancés a selfish fat bastard. I can’t believe you let him get away with it. You’ve gotten soft kitty.”

Hinata shrugged, feeling an itch to her cheeks as she thought about their unbelievable quickie this morning. Maybe she was the insatiable one.

 “He more than makes up for it.”

Ino wasted no time carelessly tossing the lid on the counter. It skittered across like a nails on a chalkboard. Hinata winced at the sound and prodded in her ear.

 Ino bit greedily into a thick brick of brownie, with an over-savory expression.

“Mmmmh, ugh, that’s rich, really hits the spot,” her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she moaned and tossed her hair like she was reenacting some sort of raunchy sex scene. She devoured the brownie, moving her jaws in a provocative way, her eyes slipping closed. “I bet you’re like a huge slut for the nine-inch demon dick,” she teased and Hinata tapped her password into her phone, making a distasteful noise, “I wonder, did you make these brownies after you let him smash? Am I eating a, ‘ _thanks-for-the-dick’_ brownie?”

“Oh my god, shut the hell up!” Hinata cries out, a blush stretching across her cheeks and down the nape of her neck. Yes, she may have whipped them up for him but it was no token of thanks. Naruto simply adored her mother’s baking recipes and she liked that he enjoyed watching her cook or bake things. It may or may not get him worked up and she may or may not have capitalized on that.   _Fuck,_ she was the insatiable one!

“You’re probably like, _YES! GOD YES! YES! OH DADDY! FUCK IT UP, TEAR ME APART! UGH! PUT AN ORANGE LID ON THIS PUSSY! I’M YOURS!”_

Hinata burst into laughter, “You’re fuckin ridiculous, you know that?”

Ino nodded, “It’s been said.”

Hinata’s phone chimed.

She tapped at a snapchat notification and realized Naruto had sent her something.

**_RamenLuster25:_ ** _Hina, check this out. Does that look like somethin to you?_

_ > **Image**_

She tilted her head to the side to examine the pic but the countdown was much too fast. She replayed the image again. Trying to get an idea of what it was. It just looked like a location of skin in an unidentifiable area.

  ** _PrinsassHyuga:_** _Erm, Red. It looks red, bumpy and irritated. Can you maybe, zoom out so I can get a_

_general idea. ^_^_

_**RamenLuster25:** Ya, I gather that part. Do you think it could be somethin serious?_

_**> >Image**_

Her lips curled into an absentminded smirk. He’s adorable when he’s worried about things. At least this time he came to her about it and decided not to google it and diagnose himself with something critical. It’s happen more times than Hinata could count, each and every time he looked so grave and somber.

It always tugs at the strings of her heart.  Sometimes he could be such a baby.

“Look who finally decided to show up!”

Sakura taunted, appearing in the kitchen looking just as baggy as Hinata. Wordlessly, Ino looked her over, still chewing. The blonde suddenly flipped her the bird and Sakura returned it, rushing over to assault her, full speed ahead.

“What the heck is wrong with you! Fuc-Sak-I’m going to kill you!”

Ino attempted to flee but the pinkette encircled her toned arms around her neck. Blonde hair draped over Ino’s face, her knees folding beneath her. Sakura has a bear hold on Ino, accompanied by balance and control. Her hip is pressed up against Ino’s and she’s also pulling the blondes head across her chest at an angle of disadvantage, for Ino.

Hinata choked up a laugh, watching her two friends tussle. It reminded her of their high school routine. Every time Ino would do something wrong they’d trap her and make her repent. Never Hinata of course. Ino would easily escape her by either grabbing her boobs or trying to finger her asshole. Ino’s cheap evasive tactics never bothered Sakura.

“What the fuck, have you no home training! I’m eating you psycho bitch!”

Ino yelled, still attempting to scarf down another brownie whilst being handled. Hinata was surprised Sakura managed to have the upper hand this time. She was a lot shorter than Ino by comparison but she managed to hold the reigns of this petty fight just by the element of surprise.  

The girls were both screaming things, Ino attempting to free herself but hunching forward. Sakura shadowed her every move, both bent at the waist and laughing but yelling. Limbs knotted and strained around each other. The straps and metal pieces of Ino’s leather jacket kept tinkling with every abrupt motion.  

“I’m gonna deck you Sakura, if you don’t fuck the fuck off!”

Sakura laughed boisterously, “Bullshit.”

Hinata watched, as Ino tried to tug her body from breath Sakura’s manipulation, blonde and pink hair curtaining their faces. They were both gasping for breath and losing their strength. Sakura’s bare feet smacking against the linoleum to avoid Ino’s attempts to kick her in the shins.   

“Yamanaka is locked in the infamous Haruno bar-lock, as fate would have it she’s never been able to successfully con her way out of this one.” Hinata narrated flamboyantly, using her cellphone as a makeshift mic. She walked towards Sakura, “Look at the brute strength, the form, this is the most elegant it’s ever looked. Could this be a new modified version of the mov-“

“Shut the fuck up!” Ino screamed, “Er, Sakura, my best friend, my first lesbian experience, I can’t breathe.”

“I suggest you not waste your breath talking to me then.”

“Ohhhh!” Hinata instigated.

 “I just wanna eat the sex brownies,” Ino whined, her voice cracking, “Whatever I’ve done, I assure you, I don’t fuckin remember!”

“It isn’t what you’ve done, it’s what you’re going to do and it’s shady.” Sakura says cryptically, breathlessly, a sheen of sweat coating her bare arm.

Hinata takes this time to shoot Naruto a quick response:

**_PrinsassHyuga_ ** **_:_ ** _Lol is that your foot!? Wow, I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced._

_Before today I would’ve never been able to identify your feet in the morgue. Do you_

_know how bizarre that is? I’ve seen your whole body with the exception of your feet._

_You’ve been holding out, they’re…hobbit level merchandise. I guess the foot size_

_definitely indicates the beef size…._

_**> PrinsassHyuga took a screenshot**_

“What’s your beef with Temari?”

Ino gasped and Sakura tightened the hold, Ino slumped her shoulders.

“If my hair is beyond saving, I’m going to stab you in the ass.”

“If you ever escape.” Hinata teases, wandering to a cabinet to fish out three shot glasses.

What? She’s never been one to turn down a free drink and besides, if the liquor was distributed evenly, Ino wouldn’t get shit-faced and everyone would remain friends. Excluding Ino and Temari. Their rivalry was tougher than gristle and no one understood why.

“Fuck! Are you really doing this because of that prissy bitch?” Ino sneered.

Sakura nodded, “She’s actually not that bad, you would know that—if you gave her a chance.”

“She’s fucking condescending, I gave her a chance, she’s a fucking prick!”

Hinata had noticed it too, the way Ino seemed to jump on Temari for the simplest of exchanges. Rather in person or through text, Ino was venomous to everyone but Temari has been getting it exceptionally hard. 

 “Shikamaru and you go way back, there’s no rea-”

“That doesn’t mean I agree with the shitty decisions he’s made, exhibit A, marrying that bitch.”

Hinata stalked over to the booze Ino left on the counter, tucking it under her arm.

“She said, with way too much hostility,” Hinata narrated mockingly, coming at a standstill in front of the two women, still holding their positions.

“Sakura I don’t want to get stiff-neck, let me go asshole!”

“Don’t think so. Does this have anything to do with Shikamaru?” Sakura asked suggestively.

“Da, he’s made a horrible decision…didn’t you just hear me. Are you deaf?”

“You know I don’t mean that.”

“If you’re implying that…I’m like head over heels for Shika or something, y-you can eat my ass!”

Hinata brows shot up. She hadn’t been thinking that at all. For as long as she had known Ino, Shikamaru had been around but they always seemed to have a sister/brother vibe going for them. They bickered, they wrestled, they smoked and Ino even talked him up to girls every now and again.

But the way Ino stuttered out that sentence made her second guess the things that she thought she knew.

“I wasn’t even thinking that but honestly, it’s starting to make sense why you constantly harass poor Temari,” Sakura explained.

Ino laughed bitterly, “Are you fucking kidding me. Me and Shika? We’re both lazy, how would that even work? We barely worked as bros! And he’s a pineapple headed fuck! The dudes I normally date take a lot more pride in their hair and appearance.”

Sakura sighed, “So why the hostility?”

“Uh, I can’t stand her,” Ino inflected, “We just went over this, my neck is numb now, so grassy-ass!”

_Gracias?_

“Would it kill you to be cordial?” Sakura asked.

“I thought I was. I haven’t even threatened to kill her yet, that’s progress.”

Hinata shuffled off back to the table to top off the shot glasses, she guzzled from the bottle after every shot she poured.

_One for Ino, one for me, One for Sakura, one for me, One for me, One for me._

The liquor burned fiercely down her throat. Like drinking battery acid. She felt her face twist, her mouth being wrung dry.

“Pig, just behave today, I don’t want her to feel like an outsider or think we’re all out to get her. We’re all grown women and shouldn’t conduct ourselves like a sorority of vapid bitches.”

Ino sighed in irritation, “Fine, now can you get off?”

Hinata’s phone chimed. The brunette quickly placed the liquor bottle down and looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was the wiser of her sneaking extras. Ino and Sakura were untangling themselves; Ino still grumbling about her neck and Sakura directing her on how to be nicer.

 ** _RamenLuster25:_** _Fr, the screenshot? What’s the point of that?_

**_PrinsassHyuga:_ ** _It’s just proof that socks aren’t permanently sewn below your ankles. :}_

**_RamenLuster25:_** _Have never worn them in the shower with you. We’ve taken tons of showers._

_**PrinsassHyuga:** I don’t recall.  _

**_RamenLuster25:_ ** _Don’t play dumb gorgeous. So, what do you think about the mark?_

**_PrinsassHyuga:_ ** _It’s probably nothing, just a rash. Let your feet air out, you’re always smothering them._

_If you’re picking it, stop! You have a knack for picking yourself, it’s gross btw._

**_RamenLuster25:_ ** _But it itches…_

**_PrinsassHyuga:_ ** _Don’t give it what it wants! Mind over matter._

**_RamenLuster25:_** _That only makes me want to scrape it against the desk. I’ll just ask around for some_

_peroxide._

**_PrinsassHyuga:_ ** _What? Why? That will probably just make it burn. You’ll only agitate it and yes my_

_friend, there will be hell to pay._

**_RamenLuster25:_ ** _Whatever sedates the itching._

**_PrinsassHyuga:_ ** _Babe, contrary to popular belief Peroxide isn’t a cure all…_

**_RamenLuster25:_ ** _Maybe it’s Athletes foot?_

**_PrinsassHyuga:_ ** _Ew! No, whoa there buddy, let’s not even jinx it. Look, you have an office to yourself just_

_take off those socks and shoes, fresh air is just what the doctor ordered (or the naughty_

_nurse). Trust me. Don’t go bumming peroxide off people at work, it’s just weird…_

_**RamenLuster25:** Ha. Maybe you’re right. I’ll give it a shot, alright? Taking care of me as always, I can’t _

_believe that someone like you exists for me. Miracle. :)_

_**PrinsassHyuga:** Lol. Right on time with the praise! Feed me daddy. _

**_RamenLuster25:_ ** _Haha, I like it better when you feed me…_

**_PrinsassHyuga:_ ** _:X I’ve got company, cut it out guy._

**_RamenLuster25:_ ** _How’s that coming along? The packing. Really wish I could be there._

**_PrinsassHyuga:_ ** _I’ll let you know after we take a few shots._

**_RamenLuster25:_ ** _Uh, so you’re not packing then?_

**_PrinsassHyuga:_ ** _Ino ate your brownies. I tried to stop her._

**_RamenLuster25:_ ** _All of them?!_

 

****

Hinata was stashed in the corner, sitting back to back with Tenten, whose legs were wrapped around an empty cardboard box that Naruto had marked, ‘Entertainment center.’ It’s the only box he had gone out of his way to label, not even bothering to take the next step to stow it away. From the twisted and knotted mess of the game, tv, dvd and extension cord, Hinata could totally see why he hadn’t bothered with it.

“Ino you’ve been nursing that candlestick for the past two hours, I’m starting to worry.” Tenten says, her voice sent gentle vibrations up Hinata’s spine. Tenten shifted ever so slightly, it was enough to make Hinata feel unsteady, so she slouched forward, wrapping plates and cutlery in blue tissue paper. She’d have to make do with the tools that she had on hand now.

Hinata’s phone chimed.

**0898-464098 [06:45 P.M]**

_Hope you’re not still mad @ me, I hear you’re bck n town._

**_Me [06:46 P.M]_ **

_Who’s this? O_O_

**0898-464098 [06:48 P.M]**

_Kiba Inuzuka. You deleted me? Damn girl, punch to the gut._

**_Me [06:49 P.M]_ **

_Now is not a good time._

**0898-464098 [06:50 P.M]**

_It never is. ‘Ruto sent me over to lend a hand. I also brought my truck and muscles._

**_Me [06:52 P.M]_ **

_Why didn’t you decline…_

**0898-464098 [06:54 P.M]**

_I owed em one, couldn’t bail on the favor._

**_Me [06:56 P.M]_ **

_Did you tell him?_

**0898-464098 [06:57 P.M]**

_If I did, d’you think he’d let me be anywhere near you?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading and reviewing.  
> Next "Episode" we explore the past, we get a look into Naruto's work and some really comedic scheming.  
> Sorry I'm behind on the update. Life calls!


	7. Two hours into Packing and Drinking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ino posts a picture on Instagram. Screen Names are:
> 
> In_y0facepunk/ Ino
> 
> Cherry_Cha/ Sakura
> 
> ShadowMonstaShik/ Shikamaru
> 
> Tenofyall/ Tenten
> 
> Keezus22/ Kiba
> 
> RamenLuster25/ Naruto
> 
> PrinsassHyuga/ Hinata
> 
> The_chouginator/ Choji
> 
> **** The other screen names are either friends of Ino or random comments used to make the experience more realistic. Thanks for reading!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written purely for my own entertainment. BUT the next chapter starts off where we left off. I hope you enjoy this crack!chapter. It's a bit of an outtake, a quick glimpse of a character. I won't be able to update until two weeks from now so I figure I'd write something to hold you over until then. Thanks for reading.

Ino uploads a picture to Instagram after rallying all of the occupants inside of the apartment. Everyone is unwilling and bitching about how they were in the middle of loading Kiba’s truck. She assures them that she doesn’t give a shit about their crocodile tears and come hell or high water, they’re going to take a photo to commemorate this _chore._

The living room is nearly bare, save for the bits of paper tucked into corners. Tenten bought bags of chips and pouched refreshments with built in straws; Capri Suns and an off brand that no one would try. There are abandoned pieces of silver duct tape stuck to the wooden floor and discarded jackets stacked on top each other in a pile. The Beats speakers buzz with the song Safety Dance, from Tenten's, 'American Tech' playlist. God, it was awful music but it wasn't Ino's turn to DJ and she doubted she'd have the time. Tenten's playlist didn't seem to be running out of songs, even after Ino stealthily skipped a few when everyone was too occupied to notice.

“Squeeze in, don’t be shy—we’re all made of the same stuff, except dog boy.” She teases Kiba who simply sighs in exasperation and shuffles closer, hands tucked into the back pockets of his jeans. He looks uncomfortable, in the way that a new house puppy does after it has pissed the carpet.

Ino lingers on him through the lens, noticing every so often that his eyes drift to Hinata. It probably means nothing, it probably means something. Ino doesn’t contemplate the exchange and files it away to refer to later. If she even remembered.

She holds her phone high over her head, at an angle that best suits her milky completion, and vibrant highlights of makeup.

_We like rouge, fuck, we love rouge and the smoky liner. I’ve got to get a job, I can’t cope with going back to basic drugstore powder. It’ll probably do a number on my skin in the future._

She admires the preciseness of her eyeliner that branched out into a neat curved wing. Ino, shot the camera a smoldering gaze, changing the profiles of her face and snapping candid photos of those behind her.

_Why the fuck am I not getting laid? Because you’ve been giving a fuck lately. Sleeping around just doesn’t feel the same. Or maybe you’ve just flipped your shit after your mom had the nerve to try and stick it to you. Like you're even half the piece of shit she is._

She rolled her tongue out, which had been coated in the lightest hue of blue slick. A blow pop, saccharine blueberry and it tastes like corn syrup. She knew Kiba was setting her up the moment he offered it to her. Regardless, she needed something, something to keep her from roaming to the nearest corner store and buying up all their nearly depleted packs of Newport’s. She said she’d stop, and she was going to make an honest go at it. But fuck, why’d it have to be so fucking inconvenient. The booze wasn’t much of a suppressant, in fact, it could be just as habitual if she clung to the burn enough. She clucked her blue dyed tongue and bit her inner cheek.

This week wasn’t getting any easier to bear and without the tranquility of a drag, she wasn’t sure how well she’d fare.  If it got to the point where it felt excruciating and she couldn’t find purchase in cheap substitutes, at least she could say she genuinely tried. That’s got to count for something. Not that she gave a shit. This would make a good story to tell her mom one day, if the woman ever decided to fucking apologize for that unnecessary intervention.

_My behavior is unacceptable? I hate to break it to you mommy dear but dating a guy twenty years younger than you is way more fucked up than any of my shenanigans. Snorting lines off a compact mirror, like some middle aged coke-whore was a whole new brand of hypocrisy.  But I’m the one—I’m the one who’s gone too far? Really mom, me? I smoke a few cigs, drink a little--socially and I'm the spawn of Satan. Well, you fucked him._

 Ino combed her long blonde hair over her shoulder, and scrubbed her bangs over her eyes, hoping to give herself a wild edge. It didn’t take much to do that. Her blonde mane of hair has always singled that that and her gangly height that would scare all the boys. Not anymore, men were always trying to climb her. Trying to invade every aspect of her life and trap her. It used to be fun, toying with them like a cat would with mice between its teeth.

Not so much anymore—or right now at least.

 “Are we props in this photoshoot?” Tenten asked, photobombing Ino. The pigtailed woman made the god-awful duck face and struck a fainting-Hollywood-starlet pose.

“Hey assholes, vogue!”

_“What?”_

* * *

 

_Liked by **Sl.utbasket** , **Id0ntweerpants.org** and **36 others**_

**_In_y0facepunk_ ** _Two hours into packing n drinking w/these sluts_

_**@Cherry_Cha @PrinsassHyuga @Tenofyall @Keezus22**_

_#totallymyidea #goodcombination #slavery #slizzardcritters #cantaffordnetflix #unemployedAF_

* * *

 

**_Sucmyask_ ** _Packing? Wher tf you goin?_

 **_In_y0facepunk_ ** _@_ **_suckmyask_ ** _To block ur lurking ass Yask!  ;}_

 ** _The_chouginator_** _Those Tostitos in the background tho (_ _͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).  Sharing is caring, it's been a minute since you showed me you cared._

 **_In_y0facepunk_ ** _@ **The_chouginator** Take a hint lard ass. _

 **_FacedownAzzup1994_ ** _Still looking like a snack I see. ;D hmu sexy, miss partying w/you_

 ** _RamenLuster25_** _Packed your gut with my treats, that’s the only packing that went down._

 **_In_y0facepunk_ ** _@_ **_RamenLuster25_ ** _Every. Last. One. Tasted like unprotected sex, which I’m sure u had prior to the brownies._

 **_RamenLuster25_ ** _Sometimes during the brownies. Proofs in the puddin looks like._

 **_In_y0facepunk_ ** _@ **RamenLuster25** Unbothered. I know **@PrinsassHyuga** is a freak in the sheets. She’s an ex-stoner. They’re always out there with their titties in the wind. _

**_PrinsassHyuga_** _This is not the place to dish out sensitive information…omg DX stfu._

 ** _RamenLuster25_** _Can’t believe you let her eat our tube babies._

 ** _PrinsassHyuga_** _HAHAHA stop!! @ **RamenLuster25** but you ate them too. _

**_RamenLuster25_** _It’s healthy, look it up!_

 ** _Tenofyall_** _@ **RamenLuster25**_ _Pretty sure that’s just a rumor men cooked up so we won’t make a fuss when they cum premeditatedly in our mouths. It ranks right up there with, “Mistakenly putting it in the wrong hole.”_

 ** _PrinsassHyuga_** _LMFAO!!! OMGOMG stop. Everyone who’s reading this, he didn’t nut in the brownies. He’s just playing around._

 ** _RamenLuster25_** _@ **Tenofyall** Pardon me? Wrong hole?_

 **_In_y0facepunk_ ** _Hinata takes it up the ass. Best news I’ve heard today. Ur fiancé is resourceful.  @ **RamenLuster25** I don’t care that they say ur trash, ur alright with me kid. _

**_RamenLuster25_ ** _Who says that?_

 **_Cherry_Cha_ ** _Wth did I just walk into?_

 **_In_y0facepunk_ ** _Literal foodporn. XD These 2 erotica chefs fuck each other in the kitchen._

_**Cherry_Cha** Hinata and Naruto are like two teenagers who just discovered how to sync their songs from itunes to their iPhones. Or vice versa._

_**PrinsassHyuga** I’m checking out of these comments. V_V @ **RamenLuster25** you’re so annoying sometimes lol _

**_RamenLuster25_ ** _I just figured they knew, they know my dick size so…_

 **_Tenofyall_ ** _@ **RamenLuster25** thanks for bringing that up, right in front of my salad. _

**_Lalalalalana_** _You’re killin’ it in that jacket Yamanaka! When you gonna shoot me a link to it._

 **_In_y0facepunk_ ** _When my asshole expands and births 3 more assholes @ **Lalalalalana** I told u before, unless my dad pulls a Lazarus and appears out of thin air, I’ll never know where the hell that bastard got the leather.  Srry, nice profile pic. Nice tits. When r u gonna shoot me a link to those?_

 ** _Lalalalalana_** _:) When you stop playing games Ino. You’re like a stray cat sometimes, I’ve been biding my time. Waiting for you to turn up in my backyard demanding food. You’re a mess chick._

_**In_y0facepunk** and u’re a shit cat owner. Ur s’pose to put the food out first. _

**_Lalalalalana_ ** _Fuck you Yamanaka XD_

 **_In_y0facepunk_ ** _Bestiality? New Kink of urs? Alright, whatev makes u cream your pants I guess._

_**Lalalalalana** Haha, check your DM’s_

**_Keezus22_** _I look like I’m on PCP and all types of nifty shit. Nice shot Ino. It isn't often that I'm referred to as a slut but thanks for making me feel apart of the team._

 **_RamenLuster25_ ** _@ **Keezus22** Are they being nice?_

 ** _Keezus22_** _In spite of what this pic may portray, I’ve been given the cold shoulder. They’re unappreciative, screamy and drunk. They had this whole man-roasting debate and I had to plea a case for like, every man who’s ever wronged them. They have the makings of a  blood thirsty cult._

 **_Cherry_Cha_ ** _@ **Keezus22** Log out Kiba, wtf is up with your sn. Are you a Yeezus praiser? I don’t get the hype. _

**_Keezus22_ ** _See what I mean…_

 ** _Tenofyall_** _We welcomed you with open arms and no one is drunk. Tipsy, maybe but not white girl wasted.  @ **In_y0facepunk** You’re so gay. _

**_In_y0facepunk_** _@_ ** _Tenofyall_** _I eat around, jealous?_

 **_Tenofyall_ ** _Kinda :/_

 **_In_y0facepunk_ ** _If u weren’t my friend, I’d fuck. @ **Tenofyall**  _

 **_Tenofyall_ ** _Thx, I really needed to hear that._

 **_ShadowMonstaShik_ ** **** _o_0 Since when is drinking associated with working or anything that requires thought and proper compartmentalizing. Is this one of those things where you pretend you’re being useful but really, you aren’t doing shit?_

 **_In_y0facepunk_ ** _@ **ShadowMonstaShik** Fun doesn’t get past u Shitlock/ Sherlock.   Not a typo, it works both ways. _

**_ShadowMonstaShik_** _Where’s my wife?_

 **_In_y0facepunk_ ** _hell if I know, I’m not ‘the wife-sitter.’ Unless u wanna hire me to do so. I'm kinda strapped for cash so anything is everything._

 ** _ShadowMonstaShik_** _Hire you? You half ass everything you do. Anyway, she said she’d be helping at Hinata’s._

 **_In_y0facepunk_ ** _How does it feel to be lied to? For the record, under 'Ino's management of wives', this would have never been an issue. Consider hiring me. I implore you._

 **_Cherry_Cha_ ** _Have you tried calling her @ **ShadowMonstaShik**? It goes straight to voicemail on my end. I thought she just bailed on us but if she’s not with you, somethings up._

 **_Jer_mix_90s_ ** _Noice feed!_

 **_In_y0facepunk_ ** _Don’t go making this some CSI mystery, for all we know she could just be boo'd up at the Hilton with her REAL husband. This doesn’t have to be an emergency._

 **_Cherry_Cha_ ** _Nice Ino -_-_

 ** _キッス_** _可愛い! 誰もがかわいいです_

 **_In_y0facepunk_ ** _@_ **_キッス_ ** _ありがとう =D_

 **_Candidawgs_ ** _@ **hawaiianKeioshi** We should do this, mask our chores like a party. Looks rewarding.  _

_**HawaiianKeioshi** Dafuq? We wolln’t get nothing done Stu, we already don’t. Foh. _

_**Candidawgs** Just a suggestion…_

****

_**Parkimyeung** So we're just going to pretend that guy doesn't have a boner? Ok..._


	8. Grudges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto and Sasuke messages  
> Naruto and Lee discuss a mystery woman who flashes him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be uploading a new and longer chapter Saturday afternoon. Yay. Sorry for the mini Chapters, they're just fun to write. This is Naruto-centered. Although it's more so media conversation. Thanks for reading, I can't wait to drop the chapter Saturday.

 

**_Uchiha Sasuke:_ ** _I'm taking a leave of absence, I've spoken with Kakashi regarding the whole arrangement and he signed off on it. I'll be out of town indefinitely._

_Kakashi insists that you needed a heads up. This is that heads up._

_If you ask me, he already finds you incompetent of this leadership position if he just assumes you can't adapt to as little a change as this._

_You'll be over my position temporarily. Don't get comfy. Don't fuck anything up and make things impossible for me to fix when I return. If you make any errors I suggest you clean it up quickly before anyone gets suspicious of your inexplicable promotion. Gossip shifts the gears in upper management, it's like I've always told you: less is more. Talk less Naruto, interfere less. No one takes opinions seriously, just shut the fuck up and don't give yours. Let some other idiot take the bait._

_The job is pretty cut and dry, even an intern with a clean slate in experience could take on the task. It doesn't take a genius, it just takes common sense. Am I wrong in assuming that you can take the reins while I'm away?_

**_Uzumaki Naruto:_ ** _Wrong, no. Are you fuckin with me?! Me?! I'm the one being promoted to Chunin level executive. I always thought Lee was a shoo-in, fuck, he's gonna be pissed as all hell. Guess I'm a little surprised by the recommendation, especially if you were only going to talk a bunch of shit after notifying me. Fuckin bastard. Thanks for vouching for me._

**_Uchiha Sasuke:_ ** _Don't thank me, all the Genin are hilariously unqualified in this company, you included. The only good quality you've got going for yourself is how determined and driven you are, even if it's bullshit. We're in a business that exploits your kind of naivety, it makes the deniability easier. Your ability to convince people to trust us, that's your saving grace. Thank yourself._

**_Uzumaki Naruto:_ ** _First off, fuck you bastard. Second, where the hell are you goin? Goin rogue on us so soon?_

**_Uchiha Sasuke:_ ** _Right about now, that's not such a bad idea. Have you spoken with my-with Sakura?_

**_Uzumaki Naruto:_ ** _Meh, not lately, is she dragging you off to court again?_

**_Uchiha Sasuke:_ ** _She…_

_She's pregnant…_

**_Uzumaki Naruto:_ ** _Oh…OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. You guys…ohhh…recently? Ohhh….shit…_

**_Uchiha Sasuke:_ ** _Yeah, and doing what she does best, lashing out at me. Mentioning the divorce every 3 seconds. I took that therapists' advice and let her get it all out of her system—I thought. It's the song that never ends. Just when I think she's said what's on her mind, there's a plethora of more unresolved shit._

**_Uzumaki Naruto:_ ** _I'm not an expert on any of this shit and you don't have to take my word for it but when someone is mad at you, it doesn't have an expiration date. Milk has an expiration date, lunchmeat has an expiration date, some say humanity has an expiration date but women holding grudges. It's an uphill battle teme and the thing is, you don't just get to have the anger all at once and build from there. It's a full-on assault—mentally and physically. One day things are goin smooth and she might just bring up whatever pissed her off seven months ago. It's never over and you can't do shit about it but be prepared to rebuttal. It's a twisted game that you pretend you don't like but it's got its merits; the angry sex, the delicious brownies and the time alone sometimes. It takes perpetual patience and understanding but in time she'll get over it. You'll get to see your kid when they're ten. That's better than never, right?_

**_Uchiha Sasuke:_ ** _Goodbye._

_**Uzumaki Naruto:** _ _I warned you that I wasn't an expert._

**_Uchiha Sasuke:_ ** _I don't need an expert or any disgusting images of you having angry sex with your fiancé. You know Sakura, has she ever…been angry with you?_

**_Uzumaki Naruto:_ ** _Loads of time. Your expectations are too high, teme. Sakura-chan's grudges have sequels._

_She pretended I didn't exist half of freshmen year in high school. Ya know why? I called her flat-chested. Just give her a bunch of space, act like it doesn't bother you—she hates when you do that. Best case scenario, you get visitation when the kid gets here._

**_Uchiha Sasuke:_ ** _I don't expect a thing, only honesty._

**_Uzumaki Naruto:_ ** _You can see how ironic that sounds, right? You cheated on her._

**_Uchiha Sasuke:_ ** _We were already on the rocks by then and she kicked me out._

**_Uzumaki Naruto:_ ** _The principle still stands, you stepped out on her. You fucked up bad but I don't think saying sorry is gonna be enough this time. Give her time to recuperate. That means, no visiting her out of the blue and getting her to sleep with you. That's like pushing the reset button, she'll only resent you for thinking sex could fix it. I can't believe you're going to be a papa before me. :'') I'm gonna be a proud god-papa. Do all of the things my god dad did for me like get popsicles, collect frogs, teach him the art of seduction….uh what else…_

**_Uchiha Sasuke has left the chat_ **

* * *

 

**_Eightgaytes:_ ** _CONGRATS ON THE PROMOTION! YOU DESERVE IT!_

**_RamenLuster25:_ ** _Thanks buddy…so, no hard feelings?_

**_Eightgaytes:_ ** _NO NEVER! NO ONE IS MORE DESERVING THE JUNIOR POSITION THAN YOU! IT JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM AT THE TOP FOR ALL OF US! I'M GOING TO SNAG ME A SPOT SOONER OR LATER!_

**_RamenLuster25:_ ** _It's kinda temporary and there's only three Junior spots…so there isn't plenty of room. I'm just filling in for Sasuke while he's out of town._

**_Eightgaytes:_ ** _UH I SEE? IS THIS SOME SORT OF UPPER MANAGEMENT TACTIC TO CRUSH YOUTHFUL SOULS? OR ARE YOU TRYING TO MOTIVATE ME TO TRY AND PUSH ONE OF THE OTHER GUYS OUT OF MANAGEMENT?_

**_RamenLuster25:_ ** _What? No that isn't what I meant, I'm telling you there are only three Junior positions and I'm just temporarily holding one of them. Gaara and Bee are holding the other two, they're our friends and they were chosen because they're pretty damn good. It doesn't have to be some sort of bloodbath to climb the ranks. We can earn our shit the old fashion way, through our work._

**_Eightgaytes:_ ** _SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS…GAARA, BEE AND SASUKE ARE THE ONLY THING STANDING IN THE WAY OF OUR PERMANENT PROMOTIONS AND THERE NEEDS TO BE A BLOOD BATH?_

**_RamenLuster25:_ ** _Lee, what the fuck, no. We just need to keep doing what we're doing and we'll be recognized for our efforts._

**_Eightgaytes:_ ** _RIGHT ;}_

_I'D LIKE TO ASK FORGIVENESS._

**_RamenLuster25:_ ** _Why? What's the matter?_

**_Eightgaytes:_ ** _EARLIER TODAY, ON MY WAY LEAVING FOR LUNCH, I SAW A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN THE EMPLOYEE PARKING LOT. SHE APPEARED TO BE HAVING TROUBLE. I WENT TOWARDS HER, TO ASSIST BUT SOMETHING STRANGE OCCURRED AND I WITNESSED…WHAT I….I SAW HER BOTTOM. SHE WAS NUDE BENEATH HER LONG COAT._

**_RamenLuster25:_ ** _Lol sounds like luck to me, nothing that deserves forgiveness on my end. And it's not your fault that you got front row seats to the show. Did you talk to her? Give her the bushy brow smolder and ask her out?_

**_Eightgaytes:_ ** _I COULD NOT BUT I CERTAINLY ADMIRED THE GLIMPSE. SHE IS A VOLUPTUOUS WOMAN AND I CAN SEE WHY YOU'RE ALWAYS IN GOOD SPIRITS BUT YOU HAVE DIBS. IT WOULDN'T BE RIGHT FOR ME TO PURSUE. UNLESS, YOU'RE TRYING TO TELL ME TO GO AFTER YOUR FIANCE? IS SHE ALWAYS WEARING NOTHING SO FREELY?_

**_RamenLuster25:_ ** _O_O I'll fucking kill you._


	9. Milkshake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiba and Hinata talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late update, this chapter was kind of meh but I'm satisfied with it. The next chapter will have more Kiba/Hinata(No I do not ship them but they're drama for the soul), also in the next chapter, Naruto finally comes home and things pretty much get kinky. Ino and Sai's first "date". We discover where Temari is-or isn't. We get into Tenten's story. No sms this chap.

 

* * *

"I heard you're pretty pissed at me," Kiba says by way of greeting, standing in the doorway and sliding his cellphone into his back pocket. He doesn't look angry with Hinata, then again, he's never been able to successfully pull off such an emotion—not with her anyway. His face is inscrutable despite the accusative tone. His eyes don't miss the chance to drink her in like he's just escaped a desert and the embodiment of life now stands before him in just the right form.

Hinata sucks in a sharp breath that does nothing to alleviate the cramping of her throat. She shifts uncomfortably in the doorway, feeling like she'd been wearing a lot less than what she was—in fact, wearing. Naruto's clothes slunk around her body, she has marinated in his scent the entire day and yet, it's never smelled as potent as it does now. Radiating around her body like a smoke signal.

"You say it best, when you say nothing at all," he concludes grinning wolfishly, "So I guess Shino was right."

Shino? Of course he'd play both sides of the field—he never did like choosing sides and always remained impartial to their disagreements. It seemed like a balanced friendship but to Hinata, Shino has always taken the cowards way out. This time was no different. By allowing Hinata to vent to him, all the while he had still been keeping Kiba up to date on her status. She knew Shino had probably meant no harm in being an informant to Kiba but it felt an awful lot like he had finally decided to take a side. And upsettingly—it wasn't hers.

Kiba taps his fingertips against his side, a coping mechanism to refrain from doing something that could potentially lead to stress. Hinata recognized this quirk of his, from back when they were kids—his parents would always coach him into doing it, she guessed it stuck. When they were younger, they fought like cats and dogs. Those were much simpler times; when they only wanted to kick the snot out of each other to gain territories on the playground or when Kiba would tease her about her cooties and she called him an ugly, dumb boy from PETCO.

 _He's still ugly and dumb,_ she decided resolutely, scrunching up her face distastefully at him.

"And yet, that didn't prevent you from showing up, are you looking for trouble?" the words tumble breathlessly from her lips, her sleeved fingers tense around the doorknob with the intent to slam it in his face. She starts to put the thought into action but Kiba intercepts the door with a firm forearm and a sneakered foot planted like steel on the threshold. He has enough momentum to overthrow her and gloat but he stays still, as if to quell her spoken fear. His narrowed pupils gaze searchingly into her doe eyes, dark eyes roaming from one eye to the other—like this moment between them is imperative. Like she isn't the original host of her body and the real Hinata is caught in some deep chamber within.

"Arrgh, c'mon. I'm just doing your  _boyfriend_ a solid," he groans, brows raised in amusement before incredulously asking, "Do I intimidate you that badly? You'd try and shut me out. Literally smoosh me in a door to get a point across. Guess you're a chip off the ol Hyuga block after all."

 _Fiancé,_ she wants to snap at him but that tiny detail pales in comparison to the latter of that loaded sentence.

Of course, this bothers her, just like he wants it too. A hot white flash of anger flares up in her chest and her brows fold low over her eyes as she tries to think up a suitable comeback. It never comes, her mind swivels. What she'd give to have Ino muttering a disgusting one-liner insult in her ear but she doubted her delivery would be as mortifyingly convincing as Ino's. Some people just had a knack for violence and dealing out mental abuse.

Her strength relied on action. She adds another hand to the knob, pressing her body against the door. She peers though the sizable gape between them. Kiba could easily bum rush her and get inside to further torment her conscious but she knows that, that isn't his objective.

"Leave, I'll let my  _fiancé_  know you showed face." she says through gritted teeth, feeling laser pressure slicing through her eyeballs. Her head swimming in years and years of history being spat in her face. She knows she doesn't have enough strength to win this tug-of-door battle but that doesn't mean she wouldn't continue with this useless fight. Her heart stammers wildly in her chest as she stares into the eyes of her former best friend and he looks back, resolve crossing his face.

"Hina—shit, I-I'm an idiot. I-I didn't—I didn't mean it like that, I'm sorry—this—us, it's hard and I'm trying," he stammers apologetically, fingers prodding the door frantically—as he took her in unwaveringly, cocking his head to the side with doleful eyes that pled for forgiveness.

 _Hina,_ there it is again. It doesn't sound the same—it doesn't impact her like it had this letters short of being her name, anyone could say it but it would never seize her the way it does coming from Naruto. Make her insides sizzle and flutter with infinite bliss. Hearing his voice rasp out, Hina—always sent her into a dreamy abyss. The sound of his voice is a powerful aphrodisiac, no matter what he's saying.

"Don't call me that and it doesn't matter," she bites, her voice is stricken in anger and something she can't quite identify but it stings her chest, "you said you wouldn't do this."

He's licking his lips, and banging his head against the door with an exhaustive breath.  _Bump, bump, bump._

"I wouldn't do what?" Kiba asks, "What—help?"

He rests his beaten head on his forearm which possesses a familiar tribal tattoo; a faded black pattern of pawprints with intricate sigils between them. It curled around his entire forearm and stopped just short of his vein tensed wrist. Hinata remembers the day he got it, how nervous and excited he was reclined back in the chair and crawling his fingertips over her skin. The moment the artist-who had been religiously riddled with gauges and bar piercings- started his inking gun, Kiba laced their fingers and closed his eyes, sparing no glace at Hinata. She remembered staring down at their fingers—feeling an acid-like warmth trickle into her fluttering gut. Her heart oozing from her ears as she sat there, wondering if this sort of gesture should make anyone feel as high as she felt.

She was the moral support that day, though she was the one that needed support. The sight of bright red blood mingling with dark ink and the taste of copper permeating the air was enough to make her stomach topsy-turvy. It turned out, Kiba wound up talking her through his first tattoo as she freaked out senselessly beside him—like she was the one being carved into.

"I wouldn't what?" he presses urgently, temples ticking rapidly.

The calmness of his tone pulls her back into their current situation. They're a long way from holding hands—in fact, Hinata could think of nothing more that would bring upon an infamous fight between them.

Kiba makes no advancement to enter the apartment. He doesn't need to because the door doesn't move an inch to thwart him. Hinata continues to lay into it, a useless act that gets her no closer to severing his presence. It's like trying to move a mountain both physically and telekinetically. Impossible.

_Dormant mutant powers be damned!_

Hinata rolled her eyes, "Don't do _that_."

"Do what?" he asks obliviously with a careless shrug, a slight curve to his lips as he lowered his head until they were on the same level, staring at each other through the enormous door gap. She could feel the heat of his hot caffeinated breath with the slight hint of cinnamon. His lips were as ruddy as the tip of his nose, shaggy chestnut hair framing the hard and matured plains of his studious face.

She was lost in thought for several lingering seconds, realizing that they were a breath apart—like two magnets fighting the subtle pull of current that still pulsated between them.

"Don't come and see you?" Kiba persisted huskily, "Don't  _miss_  you, don't contact you—don't what?" he asked in a tone that had her ears flinching and her chest constricting painfully. Her sinews were wound tight and her ribcage caving in under the bluntness of her trashing heart.

"I told you we had it all taken care of—" She trails off, adverting her gaze over his shoulder, the moment she noticed the eyesore of a lime green sweater vest and ivy green suspenders.

_Great just what I need right now. A witness._

The familiar face scar of her neighbor came into view and then his eyes—connected with Hinata's. A thick dark dusty book tucked into his side as he rose from his veranda seat slowly, eyes squinted behind thick framed glasses. Mr. Umino Iruka, an elder man who has become very fond of Naruto—he often came to the apartment just to sample some of Hinata's cooking (per Naruto's aggravatingly open hospitality) and hassle the young couple about budgeting and life lessons that the couple dreaded but accepted. Hinata had always been taught to respect her elders and Naruto has always been extroverted and warm to anyone with a pulse.

Before Naruto moved in with her, she was a bit of an introvert in the neighborhood. No one knew her and she knew no one. Aside from the normal exchanges of formalities, she hardly went into details about her personal life. Mr. Umino is known as the  _watchman of the neighborhood_. He was always lurking behind the camo-net draping around his porch, watching other people like exhibits. He always means well enough, and he and Naruto get along famously but it unnerved her to see his eyes pointed in her direction.

She couldn't make out the expression on his face but she was certain his brain had probably been inventing some sort of conspiracy about Kiba leaning against the door—two center miters away from her face. She sighed exhaustively.

_Dammit._

"You're just being a stubborn meathead, as always, I got the truck—she's a stunner. She'll cut down on the trips across town." Kiba goes on to say.

Hinata eases up from the door and waves profusely over to Mr. Umino, to prevent herself from doing something dumb and incriminating like, asking him to mind his own business. He'd assume something wasn't right then. But still it worried her that he hadn't hobbled down the pavement to shout at her and ask her about her day.

The elder man, waved as best he could with the weighty book under his arm, he nursed a mug of what Hinata suspected was probably ginseng tea in his other hand. He frequently brings a batch by for Hinata—already made in a pitcher. Hinata has always been stingy with the offering despite Mr. Umino specifically telling her it's for she and Naruto. The thing is, Naruto doesn't even like tea but just because Mr. Umino made it, he'd suddenly get a taste for it. Or simply doing so to incur Hinata's wrath.

Kiba glanced over his shoulder, "Friend of your dad's?" he asked with detached curiosity and for once, Hinata was grateful for the distraction, for something as simple as someone observing them with an eye of knowledge. Just the added weight of expectation. She gazes up at Kiba, though he's still eyeing Mr. Umino, who is now adjusting his glasses up the bridge of his nose after taking his seat. He's thumbing through a hardcovered book, ankles crossed and looking as eerily relaxed as one could in the middle of winter.

"Mr. Umino. He's a lot younger than dad and a lot less senile," Hinata jokes grudgingly although a featherish laugh tickled her throat, "So there's no way they could be friends—much less stand each other."

Kiba chuckles, "Your old man probably thinks it's a sin—having friends. He treated me like the black-death...or like something that needed to be daggered."

Hinata couldn't help but to laugh, since Hiashi forbid her from seeing Kiba. But by the age of seventeen she came to terms with her failure to conform. She accepted that she was a sinner and would befriend whoever the hell she wanted to. Hiashi never tried to dissuade her but he didn't condone it either. She loved her dad but he could be a bit intense.

"Yeah, he did," she says and then as an afterthought, "he still hates your guts."

Kiba scoffed, "Well, he can get in line…"

The unbearable amount of history seemed to absorb her in as little as a second of staring into his face. Her first best friend—or as her father said,  _'The baby flea from across the street'._  The Inuzuka's were courteous enough but significantly eccentric in comparison to Hiashi Hyuga. Her father had always been pious to a fault and as such, didn't allow Hinata to associate with anyone he deemed, catastrophic to the natural order of life. Whatever that entailed. The Inuzuka's were known scientologist, something Hiashi fiercely detested and often mentioned was a crime against god.

As a child, she pretended the Inuzuka's were the big bad wolves while she and her father were the wolf hunters that kept them in check.

And it almost worked, never speaking to them—until, Kiba approached her in school, the one place her father's eye couldn't surveil her from. They ate lunch together regularly and fell into a pattern so instinctive that they often risked walking home together. They were inseparable and for the first time since her mother died, she fell into an easy routine—something akin to normalcy. The type she couldn't fall into with her father. She could just be herself, thoughts and all.

_When did that all change? I think I know._

"You gonna let me in? I'm not an asshole. Yes, I miss you, more than you can even fathom and it's the partial reason why I'm here. I haven't seen you in _years_ —and while your reaction to me was a bit underwhelming I get it, I get that we have layers of history and it's hard to write off as friendship but I swear to you…I'm not here to sabotage anything with you and your boyfriend. Just here to help, scouts honor."

He says with a two-finger salute to his forehead and a blazing grin, that crinkles his eyes.

_Fiance!_

Everything that's gratingly irritating inside of her wants to express that the statement is unbelievable, including the asshole line. He's very much an asshole, just being here and being him proves that the entire sentence is a load of crap. She has a white knuckled grip on the door, her bones feel stiff and sore from the fact that she hasn't let up. She's about half a second from just saying, "fuck it" and laying into him just to defuse the clotted tension when a shriek comes from behind her.

"Puppy eyes!" It's Tenten and she's launching the door open and jumping all over Kiba like he's a long-lost lover. Though he's caught off guard, he still manages to adapt to whatever the fuck life throws at him—which just so happens to be an entire person wearing a scanty black bra, khaki's and Uggs.

Hinata gasps, a cold gust of wind stuffing itself down her throat.

"Ten where the fuck are your clothes!?" She choked, smacking her windblown hair from her face.

Tenten is small enough to be caught and cradled like a child, Kiba fluently catches her around the thighs and staggers a step back.

"Sack head!" he replies affectionately and Hinata's eyes roll for some unforeseeable reason. She doesn't bother to explore it, Tenten's interference couldn't have come at a better time. Right?

"I dunno," Tenten slurs with dazed eyes, "I wrestled with  _oink oink_ ," She slaps Kiba's shoulders, "Get it, Ino means pig so Oink, OINK _modafukas_!"

Kiba is hanging on her every word, with a crooked smile, "I can't believe you think that's funny," he muttered to her flatly.

Tenten laughed even louder, tossing her head back.

"I dew! Who names their kid after freaking pork!?" She screeches, "PORK!"

Hinata shushes her, "Oh my god, you're drunk, I'm cutting you off for the night-no more of Ino's hooch."

"Happy hour is over already?"

Kiba asks taking a step to advance into the house. Hinata stands in front of the door, looking challengingly into his eyes.

"I'll take her inside," She claims holding her arms out—like they were about to trade off with a kid.

"That's what he said! Kinky!" Tenten chirps, poking Kiba's cheeks. One of her buns had deflated and hair hung shaggily over her ear.

Tenten is hugging him around the shoulders like a toddler clinging onto their parent for dear life. Hinata guesses she shouldn't be surprised, they had been drinking quite a bit and Tenten seemed to be exceptionally friendly after exceeding her tipsy limit.

Kiba shakes his head, "Hina, c'mon let me in…haven't I pleaded enough, do you want me on my knees?"

"Kinky!"

"Unnecessary and inappropriate."

"Kin-"

"If that's what it takes for you to forgive me, I'll do it."

"ky!"

"So you'd only be doing it for me to forgive you?"  _And not for trying to make out with me shamelessly in the same house as my fiance._

"Isn't that why anyone apologizes?" Kiba asks irritably, trying to tame a squirming Tenten, who was now peering over his shoulder-arms flailing in the air.

"IRUKA! HEY IRUKA! D'YA WANNA SEE SOME MILK SHAKE?" Tenten asks, shimmying her shoulders—her barely bra clad breast jiggling, " _VOILA_! MY MILK IS SHOOKIN!"

_Not even a fucking word..._

Hinata smacked her palm against her forehead, cheeks hot with secondhand embarrassment. She'll never hear the end of this later. Iruka stands up—the peculiar smile evident on his face as he waved back with uncertainty.

"You know what, fuck it, just come inside before Tenten gives the man a stroke."

"Come inside me?" Tenten asked puzzled for a brief moment before remembering her mantra, "that's what she said-thats what I said to that guy in cvs."

"Hilariously drunk," Kiba enunciated playfully, "That's what  _you_  are."

Tenten giggled at this, cramming her face in the crook of Kiba's neck.

"I miss Neji, why'd he have to die..."

Hinata rolled her eyes, " _God_  you're fucking drunk, he's not dead...he's abstinent until marriage."

"It's awful!" Tenten screamed. 


	10. The missing Hyuuga

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata tells Ino an unspoken family tragedy.

**Hinata**

* * *

"Which one of you time travelers own this clunker?" Ino asks, plucking dust bunnies from a vinyl record, "I'm just asking, yanno, in case I catch a case of the butter fingers and _skkkkrt_ ," she makes the noise of a scratched record. "I want to be able to tell its rightful owner it should've died in its decade of spinning discs."

"Ino, don't touch it," Hinata sighs carrying an armful of clothes and hangers. She tosses them on the bedroom floor, throwing her head back to sigh at the whirring ceiling fan. "It's the last thing he's got of his god father and he's cut throat about it, honestly. You're already on thin ice since the brownies. Give it a rest already."

"Best spoken like a submissive Sally, gosh what the fuck happened to you?" Ino snapped falling back into the rug, on propped elbows. Her legs were wide open, red tipped toes squirming as she inclined her jaw at Hinata, "You're acting lke a pet, it's embarrassing and disgusting, ugh. Are you scared of the man and his inhumane penis? Does he punish you for being a  _curious_ puppy?" Ino teases with a pout.

Hinata rolls her eyes, "I'm respecting his privacy, whatever's on the record is probably personal and difficult to hear. It's not being submissive, I just have certain skills that you lack—like, manners and respect," She replies, staring through the wisps of her bangs at Ino. Hinata kicked a box labled,  _'Closet apparel—Mine =^_^='_ , towards the heap she had previously extracted. Ino gave a faux smirk and then a frown took her face as she stared at the phonogram, gnawing idly at her fingernails.

"Is that so?" Ino asked with a darkened lilt, one flawlessly blonde, arched, brow raised. Hinata plopped down on her knees mimicking the raised brow with added puzzlement.

"Uh, yeah asshole, we all know you're an only child and as such, the word ' _no'_  isn't exercised often and on the off-chance that it is, well, you normally throw a hissy fit but  _no_ ,  _no_  we're not needling the vinyl so…fuck off." Hinata manages to say with a fake placid smile she added for special effect. Ino's cheek is raised, tongue roving her inner cheek for a static moment of reflection before there's a loud,  _pop._  The noise reverberates throughout the nearly bare room.

They are making good time despite the many drawbacks she had counted on. Lost time came with the territory of being friends with the most notorious procrastinators—herself included—on the planet. But things, as of this hour mainly, have been running smoothly.

Sakura and Kiba were out delivering the disassembled king-sized bed, along with all of its dresser sets. Hinata had passed off the keys graciously, in hopes of avoiding more conflict and aggravating contact with Kiba. Sakura was adamant about leaving at first but Kiba mentioned swinging by  _Chousi's Wok_  for Chinese takeout on the way back and the pinkette was sold. She thieved Naruto's North Face fleece and a navy baseball snapback and no one could stop her from leaving.

Hinata was thankful for any distance between she and Kiba, it meant that she wouldn't have to revisit losing her virginity to him or any of the other things he felt the need to remind her of when they crossed paths.

Ino had already began to suspect some tension between she and Kiba, approaching Hinata and stating that Kiba had been,  _'eye fucking the shit out of her'._  Hinata pretended she was unaware and reminded Ino that it's been years since they've seen each other so maybe Kiba was just appalled by how ugly she had gotten. Ino looked a long way from buying her crap but didn't pry for the truth. Which was a first for her.

"The fuck does that mean?"

Ino asks, an octave higher than her usual tone. Hinata's eyes snap up to peer at the blonde, a smile still ghosted on her face.

"People tell me no all the time, prime example, the fuckin' interview I bombed incredibly and" Ino says, lifting a ripped jean and fishnet leg. She pokes her toes at the polished wood of the phonogram, "Noriko wasn't some mother Teresa, but every now and again she tries to act like she cares. You're salty because my mom was and possibly still is an esteemed slut and she doesn't give me the time of day—while your dad watches you like a hawk watch chopped liver. Must suck, being so restricted, I can't relate." Ino taunted, with one of the laziest shrugs that Hinata has ever seen, if it could even be identified as such, "I just think it's ridiculous that you're being a pushover. Your dumbass fiancé has you terrified to touch his shit. Just seems unfair to me, he gets to put his dick in you and from what I hear you don't even limit him to one hole."

Hinata laughs snatches a white-collar shirt of hers from its hanger and does the modified version of folding; lining the sleeves together and then letting the neckline drop down to meet the hem. She tosses it haphazardly into the box, scowling at Ino with a tight lip. The blonde chuckles chewing on her lip, "Why're you giving me come hither eyes?"

Hinata shook her head, "No they're, 'you're reaching', eyes. I don't know why you're always giving people flack about their significant others, perhaps you're the jealous one. If there's anyone who should be able to understand him, it's you. You're an only child, his belongings are very valuable to him and he's been an orphan his entire life. Things really affects him sometimes, and he's never had anything to call his own and I get that, our boundaries aren't entirely unbreakable or restricted. We just have a thing about asking, compromising how much we can truly give to each other. We may be engaged but we haven't explored every aspect of each other."

Ino pointed a long finger at her, and wagged it, "Aren't you an only child too? Don't try and act self-righteous bitch, like you're not team spoiled."

"Not rally, I mean, in a sense I guess. It's complicated." Hinata admits tossing a brass hanger aside after halfheartedly untangling the straps of a midriff blouse from it.

Ino scoffed, "You either are or you aren't and you've never mentioned any other Hyuugas. Besides' your extremist cousin in the army and your racist dad,"

Ino mouths off, cocking her head to the side expectantly. Like someone just waiting to be right about something. Something chirps and Ino shifts to her left elbow to dig out her phone, "hold that thought, I need a moment." She murmurs staring paralyzingly at the screen.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid, I shouldn't have said that._

She's never told anyone, except Naruto, about her mother's second child. Her baby sister, who died along with her mother. She grew to be eight months and Hinata highly anticipated her arrival—like the way someone eagerly awaits a birthday palooza. Her mother always thought it was adorable, and even bought a doll so that she could practice bottle feeding and the proper way to hold a child. She had big plans for the baby, and best of all she wouldn't have to play alone. Her mother went into an early labor, Hinata woke up to the screams of excruciating pain and her father trying to sooth her mom. The screams didn't subside and she's sure the pain hadn't either. About time she had the nerve to leave her room, her father had already called the maid in to look after her because they were going to the hospital. She remembered her feeble attempts to get her way and go with them, she stood there, crying but Hiashi wasn't having it. Her father was scrambling around the house like a chicken with its head cut off; he was grabbing overnight bags, requesting the doctor over the phone and yelling over her mother's crying. It was chaos, like a vague nightmare that she couldn't make sense of.

The maid was about to shuffle her away to her bedroom when, her mother breathed out her name and before the maid could convince her that she was hallucinating, she ran to the sofa. Her mother gave her a warm hug and promised her that the maid would bring her to the hospital first thing tomorrow morning. Her mother kissed her tear stained cheeks, peppered her face with more kisses and told her to get plenty of rest so that her arms could be nice and strong to support the baby. There was something unreadable in her mother's eyes, glassy with unshed tears. She could see the worry creasing her forehead and though she wanted to make a plea to tag along, she figured it was best to let it go. She nodded and kissed her mom goodbye, too excited to sleep but somehow—someway, she drifted off with syrupy thoughts of finally meeting her brand-new sister, after holding so many one sided conversations with her mom's stomach—it'd be nice to finally teach her how to talk.

When Hinata woke up, more vibrant than life, she hurried to get ready. She fished out an old afghan her mother had knitted and given to her and a lion plushie she thought the baby would like to cuddle with. She ran around the house in search of her designated driver, the maid—or Chiyo as they called her. Instead she was met with the scene of her father—sitting half on the living room chair, and half off with his fist buried into his eye socks, like he'd never need them again. She was old enough to know, something was wrong—and something terrible had happened.

"My mom died during labor and the baby..." Hinata says, trying to swallow down the enormous boulder trapped in her throat. Her eyes felt moist and prickly but she stripped a plastic hanger with several pairs of jeans weighing it down. It felt like the perfect depiction of her heavy chest. Ino, who had been idly prodding at her cellphone looked up, mouth agape and her eyes wide and repentant.

"Shit…fuck, that's—wow, I don't even know what to say. You never did say much about your mom. Well fuck me, I'm so sorry. You know I'm an asshole but this time—I swear it wasn't intentional."

She could feel the tension and the sadness like led being injected into her bloodstream. She huffed out a breath and tried to catch the tears before they could betray her.

Ino sat up attentively, placing her cell face-down beside her hip, "Way to rub it in, fuck, get over here and let me hug you. I swear I wouldn't've bought it up if I had known." Ino says sympathetically, which seems hard to pull off since she doesn't often think she has something to apologize for. The sincerity of the gesture only intensifies the overall feeling of heartache. She's dangerously close to suffocating. Every breath leaves and nothing comes through her stuffy nose.

"Fuck," She loses more and more air, tossing the unfolded shirt into the box and trying to hide from the embarrassment of coming undone over a fucking gesture. She was pathetic. She smacks her palms to her eyes and can't stop her body from quivering. She bites her lips to stifle her anguished cries and instead her breath trembles from her nostrils. She welcomes the subtle blotches that dance behind her closed eyelids. She can hear shuffling and gum being chewed obnoxiously. Arms envelope her and pull her in, she feels Ino on the side of her, tossing a leg over her lap, and the side of a knee against her back.

"I'm sorry." Ino whispers, swaying with Hinata against pressed against her small bosom.

 _It's not your fault,_  Hinata wants to say but her throat feels too tight, lips too hot and unsteady. Her skin feels like it's under the searing gaze of a microscope strategically placed directly under the sun. She keeps her eyes closed and tries to focus on the steady thrum of Ino's heart. The feather-light beat against her cheek feels relaxing. She doesn't know how long they sit there, in companionable silence, Ino rocking them, nearly motionlessly—forward and backward.

There's a blaring silence and this moment only dredges up the time she had confessed it to Naruto. They were going on their second date and decided to do the typical thing and go to the theaters. The movie hadn't yet begun, lights still on whilst the big screen showed commercials that no one payed any attention to. It was some Disney flick that both should be ashamed of attending without a child sitting between them but there they were with concession snacks and drinks. Beside her had been a mom and her two vibrant daughters, they were all similarly dressed and asked Hinata to take a photo on the mom's phone. Her stomach had already been lodged in her throat, they were a beautiful family and she couldn't help but to think about her own life. Photos she could never look back on because they never took place. She took the photo and complimented the family before hauling ass out of there.

Naruto eventually found her and she couldn't even choke out an excuse but he never asked. They hardly knew one another then but without a word, his arms engulfed her with all the heat of a furnace on that gelid night. He rubbed up and down her spine firmly, whispering that it would be ok, even though he had no clue what  _it_ was. He was so gentle, sweet and patient. They missed the movie, and he took her home. She begged him to stay the night and he needed no convincing. He just held her all night, and the story just naturally came along with the comfort. It felt good to—for once, express the pain that her father represses every day. After the conclusion, he was suddenly kissing the tears from her face, tenderly. She might've fallen in love then, the pain knotted her heart but the unguarded emotion he gave, had her stomach fluttering and her skin humming.

Like a tradeoff, he shared his story—he told her about the people who would adopt him for the dependent compensation, how he ran away, how he wound up in the home again and after a few signatures on a dotted line he was in the custody of someone else. He tells her about the abuse, about starvation and dark things that chilled her. They were spooing in her bed and his breath felt like steam on the back of her neck, it makes her feel safe. That moment between them, it's painful but she wanted time to freeze and she wanted to live in his arms forever.

Steam on her neck, butterflies on fire in her gut and his voice echoing through the room, surrounding her with its depth.

"Hey guys it's me, Tenten."

"No shit, get out."

The floorboards creek and Hinata is almost sure that Tenten does not _, get out._

"No thanks, I've been out there, I want to come into the out with all of you lovely gay people."

Ino breathes heavily through her nostrils against Hinata and pauses.

"Are you acting like an amateur on girls gone wild still, or are you done?"

"Yep, I've been cured. Sakura mixed some shitiful things in a blender and all I wanna do is get it out."

Hinata feels a jolt of motion and errant strands of Ino's hair tickling her forehead, "The fuck, don't come in here, get your shitty booty to the toilet!"

Tenten cackles, "Shitty booty, not. I never specified which end it wants to come from silly!"

"Ten, I love you bitch but I swear to a deity of your choosing—that I'll beat you within an inch of your life if you puke in this vicinity."

Feet hit the floor persistently. Like someone stomping in place.

"Oh my fuckin' god, if I have to get up and fuckin murder you, so be it."

Tenten laughs, "Angry boar. Like angry birds but with more gore—whoopse I meant with more  _whoreeeee_."

Tenten claps, giving herself props for the joke.

Ino sighs, "Are you patronizing me you black market chun-li?"

Hinata couldn't help it, that one had her. She felt the knot in her chest loosen the moment she laughed.

"Stop that." She scolds Ino, sniffling and attempting to salvage what dignity remained. She pulled away from Ino to scrub the overlapping sleeves of her fiancés shirt over her eyes.

"Say it to my face, thotty!"

Tenten pulled at Ino's sloppy ponytail and sprinted out the door screaming and crashing into the narrow hallway walls.

A cold draft whistled into the bedroom. Ino released an exaggerated breath.

"Bitch is fuckin' skitzo…"

"She's just had too much to drink, courtesy of you."

"Uh no, I bought vodka, which you bogarted. Tenten bought her own date rape in that bag that looks like a fuckin' hoof.." Ino snaps trying to get the name, eyes rolling to the ceiling with an, ' _uhhh help'_.

"Bota. She bought a goat skinned bota."

"Whatever. Fuckin skitzo drinkin from a goat's leg."

Hinata chuckled, shaking her head.

"Stoppit! We should probably make sure that she drunk Sakura's brew." Hinata makes a move to follow Tenten.

"You gonna be ok Kitten?"

Hinata nodded, "Ya I just had a moment, I've been, stressing about stuff. The move, me being jobless—everything is just kind of moving quicker than I thought."

"Well, stop—you dunno how lucky you are. You're only twenty-three, you already met the guy that would sell his soul to save yours. Everyone else is still suffering with the cat and mouse games. Meanwhile you're leagues ahead of half the people your age. The guy wants to marry you and he wants to  _love_ you and not just hit and quit. Yes, I rag on the guy—I rag on everyone but it's just an extension of my love. Anyway, let's go sober this dumbass up."

"Yes, lets."

* * *

_**RamenLuster25:**_ Where are we camping tonight, new lair or old lair?

 _ **PrinsassHyuga:**_ _lol one last night in death star apartments? I'm gonna miss this dumb place…_ but they're in dire need of renovation. A Death Star II. :'D

The apartment was far from being back in mint condition—if that's what it could qualify as when she first settled in.

The narrow halls held bits of papers, particles and pieces to machinery that she'd probably end up tossing anyway.

Kiba had chipped a wall whilst trying to be showy with the dresser, Hinata had no idea who he was trying to upstage but she all but damned him to hell the moment he nicked the corners of the hall. Their landlord was a raging bitch and they hardly needed any reasons for her to bill the dog shit out of them.

_The woman would search every nook and cranny of the place just to get a cent more._

There were many things that were scathed during the arduous journey from apartment to apartment. Tenten, in her inebriated state, killed an entire box set of vintage china. The first present her father had ever given her, and because of that, she's never put them to use except on the rare occasion of his visits. The set was enamel and pristine white, with a silver lining, the teacups were beautifully airbrushed with sunflowers. Hinata didn't know whether to pull her hair out from the roots or crumble to the ground and be extra, luckily, she didn't get a chance to do either because Tenten was lurching up her guts and crying. Repenting repeatedly to Hinata, who stood in limbo, between agitation and compassion.

Ino had somehow managed to get lost so often in the janitor-closet apartment. The blonde would go missing classically and turn up the moment they'd round up a search party.

Hinata soon discovered her hiding spot, standing in her bedroom and admiring herself in the body length mirror stashed behind the bedroom door. Sometimes Ino had her phone on speaker and appeared to be talking to someone who seemed just as fluent in,  _'bitchanese'_  as she was. Other times she'd be taking photos with her middle finger cocked. Multiple times she would catch Hinata walking through the hall and beg her to be the photographer of her impromptu photoshoot. Hinata always declined but Ino would only shadow her around and cat moan in her ear until she gave in.

Packing was a nightmare, she should have listened and waited.

* * *

_**RamenLuster25:** _ _Just getting off, are you awake?_

_**PrinsassHyuga:** _ _No, I need you. :/_

_**RamenLuster25:** _ _I know, I'm coming. I have pretty good news I'd like to tell you in person. Also, I'm gonna make a quick pitstop…for the junk._

_**PrinsassHyuga:** _ _You're off the hook for that—I just need you,_ _I just want you, plz hurry_

_**RamenLuster25:** _ _ok…will be there in 5._

* * *

 

_**Mari:** _ _Hey Nata, I am so deeply sorry for not attending the packing party. I gave you my word and unfortunately, things went awry. The universe would not let me have a win today. My phone died on me and I've been behind in all of my meetings. Problems aside, I'd like to double date with you and Naruto—you two can come to mine and Shikamaru's. I'll make good on the offer! Once again, deeply sorry and I hope you forgive me. Dinner sometime this week?_

_~Temari Nara_

_**Me:** _ _That's a relief we were worried when you went off the grid. It's ok Naruto and I won't be breaking in the new kitchen anytime soon so dinner at your place sounds both doable and welcomed. Thanks, and I'm sorry about the shitty day. I can relate. Sleep tight, give Shika my best._

_**Mari:** _ _You're sweeter than a peach. :* Nighty Night dearest. Oh, I hope you don't mind, I'll probably have my brothers over. It's a big maybe but_ _**just** _ _a heads up._

_~Temari Nara_

_**Me:** _ _The more the merrier, plus Naruto has some type of man crush on your brothers. They'll be in their own little world, that'll give us some space to cruise your master closet and the medicine cabinet lol._

_**Mari:** _ _I guess I'll make it a mandatory event for them to attend._

_~Temari Nara_

* * *

 

_**Shino:** _ _Srry. Didn't kno he'd turn up like that._

_**Me:** _ _No reason to be, it wasn't as hard as I thought._

_**Shino:** _ _So, your welcome then?_

_**Me:** _ _Don't meddle in things concerning us ever again. If you want to keep being friends with me, I'd appreciate it if you'd not tell Kiba about things concerning me. It makes neither of us happy and if you're so fond of spinning webs, you can leave me out of this. Yes, we kissed—New Year's a while ago, I admitted to you that I was confused about the feeling but it doesn't mean that I accepted it or wanted it. It was an impulsive move that I regret, I feel absolutely disgusting knowing I had a lapse in judgement but I was a different woman when it happened. I'm engaged and in the past I've given Kiba a lot of my firsts but I'm engaged to be married and I wanna be honest to Naruto, always._

_**Shino:** _ _I told him nothing except that you were to be engaged. Anyone who knows your Instagram user can see that. I don't know what he's said I've told him but I haven't. And I will always be your friend. You're like a baby sis to me. Come to the pet shop sometime, there's something I think you'd want._

_**Me:** _ _It's a hard no on the bugs, I can't even pour spoiled milk out without squealing._

_**Shino:** _ _You should be so lucky if I offered you one of my endangered beauties but no. Call it a late birthday gift but stop by sometimes and I'll let you meet the new pups._


	11. Traffic Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto and Hinata FaceTime whilst he's in traffic

 

* * *

Hinata is sprawled out on the air mattress with her legs gaping open and the eiderdown blanket pushed midway down her bare thighs. She has her earbuds and music lightly caressing her eardrums. Her iPod is currently playing:  _ **Anders-You didn't need my love**_  from her playlist titled,  _ **sleep or depression?**_  It was hard to differentiate music based on mood. Her sleepy playlist also contained a ton of upbeat songs, that often woke her up-provided her headphones were still on-and she would sing along groggily. It's not like she'd wake Naruto up with her offkey attempts to mimic a Beyoncé falsetto of Halo. She highly doubted taking a stab at Mariah's vocals could set him off. Once he was out, he was hard to revive.

_**DaddyWhiskers [11:20 P.M]** _

_Are you ready for me?_

_**Me [11:21 P.M]** _

_Is this foreplay?_

_**DaddyWhiskers [11:22 P.M]** _

_Lol, nowhere close to that. For some reason, there's traffic on the bypass, that's my hold up._

_**Me [11:24 P.M]** _

_Do you love me?_

_**DaddyWhiskers [11:25 P.M]** _

_You bet._

_**Me [11:28 P.M]** _

_Do me a favor; get out the car and walk home, you're close enough._

_**DaddyWhiskers [11:30 P.M]** _

_That'd be a good suggestion, for a corny B-flick romance—comedy but nah._

_**Me [11:33 P.M]** _

_Why not?_

_**DaddyWhiskers [11:34 P.M]** _

_Remember how you felt taking public transit?_

_**Me [11:37 P.M]** _

_Point taken. Ughhh, how bad is it?_

_**DaddyWhiskers [11:39 P.M]** _

_**-Image** _

Her phone chimed, it's a  _Bewitched_ sound effect. It just so happened to be her favorite oldies sitcom from America. It's the sound of Samantha's nose wrinkling and Hinata copies the twitch every time Naruto replies, almost instinctively. Like a ritual.

He sends a pic of the window shield, rain frozen in its trek down and the glass is dense with fog in some places. There is a line of red taillights in various shapes depending on the model of vehicle. The sky is dark, smokey with exhaust and star speckled.

Though he had probably just snapped the picture for her examination, it always surprises her how he always snaps poetic looking photos with just the right amount of light exposure. That's why she's always stealing photos of herself from his Instagram. The candid photos, that she hates at first because they're usually her in a questionable position of great discomfort but the photos do a great job of capturing her essence. And the captions only sweeten the deal. About time she reads what he's written, her heart enlarges itself and she's forgotten all the reasons she hates the photo and instead embraces that it's her and she does look stupid making that face. Only Naruto could find such a thing enthralling.

_**Me [11:42 P.M]** _

_Facetime me, that'll keep me up._

She sits up on the marshmallow-like terrain and starts fussing with her appearance, even though it occurs to her that the lights are off. The nightstand lamps were currently boxed-in at the new apartment serving absolutely no purpose. Hinata rolls her eyes and finger combs her thick mane to the top of her head tying it up swiftly, though errant strands of hair stick to her long lashes and tickled the nape of her neck.

The cold draft in the bedroom ghosted over her and elicits a shiver. She grits her teeth and let loose a shallow breath.

_**DaddyWhiskers** _

_**Would like to FaceTime…** _

Hinata pads the button to answer and Naruto's cam seems trippy and laggy for a moment before she realizes that he's moving around, trying to prop his cellphone against the fat gearshift. It keeps slipping and she can see a handful of candy wrappers in the cup holders. She starts to laugh at how horribly he's failing at balancing his phone. He's cussing under his breath and then saying,  _"Gimmie a sec babe."_ He says it so low, she isn't sure if it's said to her or to encourage the cellphone to behave.

She gets a glimpse of his tie that's hanging loosely and unevenly around his neck, collar open and the very prominent lump of his Adams apple bobbling. Those sharp jaws and light blonde stubble flicker across the screen too and she's holding her breath, her stomach doing summersaults and making her feel lightheaded. Her collar is hot and she's pretty sure she's blushing.

_He doesn't even know how sexy he is…_

"Is that rain?" She asks sheepishly, even though she could hear the pebbling downpour surrounding the car. Naruto jabs the ceiling light on and the car bathes in a weak paleness.

"Uh ya, it just started," he says in exasperation, growing impatient with the task of situating the cellphone. Hinata lays down on the pillow-less mattress and toys with her bangs. After a moment, she places her phone on top her chest and stares, mesmerized the moment those blue eyes peer into the screen. He finally managed to get the phone positioned so that he could be hands free.

He drops back into the driver's seat, head lulling against the headrest with an arm tossed over his head. His eyes flickered up—out of the window and she could see the previous car's lights reflecting a crimson stripe over his face. Like a photo that flashes and gives someone's eyes that, redeye effect that people mostly hate. It gave him a dangerously feral look and his nostrils flared with a breath.

"Why're you in the dark, weirdo?" he murmurs comfortably, scratching at his stubble with a thumb. The light noise still discernable through the connection and she swears the man grows hair back every three hours.

"Because you're the light of my world and you're playing around on the streets instead of being here, lighting up my life with your hellfire skin."

His blonde hair in so much disarray, but Hinata has seen him bother it when he isn't occupied, it's a mannerism that she doesn't know if she should praise or scold. Sometimes she watches him do it for ten minutes straight and then when she asks him about it he has no idea what she's talking about. Like he just unconsciously scrubs at his hair.

"You have no idea…" he trailed off, passing a knuckle under his nose before staring into the camera. His gaze is sharp, focused, almost predatory. "how badly I want to crash in bed, next to you, holding you—squeezing your ass."

Hinata gasped in faux shock, "Aw you're just saying that! Stop."

A smile tugs at the corner of his lips and it has a foxlike wickedness to it.

"I can see your teeth." He proclaims, peering profoundly into the screen with furrowed brows, "your eyes a little too, cut it out and turn on the light."

"No," She whined.

"Why not-ttebayo ?"

"It's all the way over there and I just—that walk though."

"Because you've been on your feet all day?" he teased.

Hinata gawked and he mimicked the face without missing a beat, even though he couldn't see her doing it.

"I bet you're doing that."

"Hush!" She demanded, though her lips were arrested in a great big smile that couldn't be whipped from her face. Her insides were churning nicely, her stomach felt ticklish and she twisted on her side with the phone. Since there were no blinds in the window, one of the streetlights lit the left side of the bed dimly. She squirmed towards the gentle bathing.

"Better?" She asked, trying to adjust the camera to not make her nostrils appear so open and embarrassingly enormous. She was nearly out of breath after pulling the blanket up and burying her chin in it.

He bobbed his head in response and undid two more buttons on his white-collar shirt. The elaborate muscles beneath the skin of his neck constricted and she could see the dip of his collar and the definition of his pecs through the gaping shirt.

She watches with rapt fascination, unashamed even though he catches her and asks,  _"What?"_

"Keep going." She encouraged with a coquettish grin, biting on the tip of her index finger and feeling empowered by the weight of the ring on that finger. She didn't miss his eyes on it either.

_God, I'm a perve._

He undoes another button, with a knowing smirk and his eyes low and smoky. There is music playing way too lightly in the background and what makes her feel even more perverted is the fact that this is somewhat public. The car windows aren't tinted and she's certain someone was bored enough to find entertainment through the windows of someone elses' car.

"Someone's going to see you, and get an eyeful and post it on  _Redtube_ under,  _'guy gets butt-naked during traffic'_." She forebodes through a fit of giggles. Naruto pauses, glancing out the window before jabbing the lights off. The luminous red glow of the digital clock is just bright enough to keep the details intimate and private.

"Can you see?" He asks and she nods before realizing she must be vocal.

"Yes."

He unbuttons the rest until the shirt is agape and the tie hangs slack around his neck and against the bare taut skin. His body is tinted in a red glow.

"Anything else?" he asks suggestively.

"Yes, hurry home. I feel like I haven't seen you in a month." She breathed, eyes wandering over him—though his shirt still covered a significate amount but she also didn't want him to be giving his traffic-mates a peep show so she settled for the glimpse. He went back to lounging in the seat, both arms wrapped around the back of the headrest, expanding the map of his body.

"Likewise babe," he says with a long yawn, fingertips scrubbing his hair, "did Keebs come by?"

"Yeah, which reminds me—why the hell would you do that?"

"Do what now?"

"Kiba, you don't really even know him that well."

Naruto scoffed, "Yeah but you do, figured since my friends weren't good enough I'd get one of yours to help."

It made good enough sense, she'd give him that. She does tend to speak ill about his friends but she means well, sort of. She got along with Gaara and Lee and thought they were pretty decent guys. His friends weren't the problem at all—they're always relatively easy going. Her friends, however, were crazy bitches, and there lies the problem. It just wouldn't have been a good idea to have Lee ogling Sakura (who'd probably go full blown hormonal rage on him) and Ino getting into a cage match with Gaara. Something about Gaara tells her that hitting a woman would be an easy feat.

"Do you know how long it's been since I've kicked it with Kiba?" then, after pausing a beat and watching Naruto's Sluggish shrug, "Not since Mari and Shika tied the knot, it's been ages and we're not as thick as thieves as we were."

Naruto held up his hands, like someone giving up their rights.

"How was I s'pose to know that? Did the guy not put in the work?"

"No…i-it's not that."

Just talking about Kiba pinched a nerve in her temples and she felt an epic migraine coming on, with fierce precision.  _Where the fuck is Iruka with the tea when you need him?_

She didn't want to seem like she was making a big fuss of nothing, especially since she never wants Naruto to think of her as a nagger but the Kiba thing still left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Naruto had unwittingly invited someone who wanted to damage their relationship a few years ago. It wasn't his fault, she knew it all fell on her for not telling him immediately after it happened. Why hadn't she told him? The guilt? The guilt of indulging in it way more than she should have. She shouldn't have let the kiss drag on for as long as it had but she felt something. Something she misread, at the time. It was pity and guilt that maybe she fueled his advances and he was kissing her because she hadn't redrawn a boundary with their friendship.

A part of her felt torn and it wasn't about exploring her true feelings because she has always known, since their second date that Naruto was her  _one._  Her only. He's the sole purpose of her turnaround and she could see as clear as day that he's it for her. Her life has never been prosaic when he's at the helm of it.

"Hey, what's that face?" he asks, staring at her, unblinkingly. She panicked, her heart rate shooting up through her ears and trying to beat its way out of her chest.

She shook her head slowly, "N—nothing, I told you, we didn't necessarily need help and I just wish you'd listen to me when I say that I have stuff under control. Sometimes, I'll tell you something and your confidence in me is kind of…nonexistent. I know that you have this whole, savior complex and it's sweet and old fashion, even charming but next time please just have faith in me that I don't need to be spoon fed."

"That's what you took that as?" he asked incredulously, Hinata nods, "my, _wife_ , beautiful…stubborn and thinks that I'm disabling her because I want to help her. Why are you mad again?"

She couldn't deny that the use of that word has always made her heart skip an obscene number of beats. Her body always defied the standards of livability, though she tries her hardest to play it off.

"Who said I was mad?" She asked feigning puzzlement, "I get that you were trying to help and you always do, and I love you so freakin much for moving heaven and hell for me. I just—didn't like that you failed to mention it would be Kiba."

"I'm sorry, I just didn't want you off doing it alone—I'd rather I was there, to take the brunt most the work. Call me old fashion but I just wish you would have waited for me," he says earnestly, staring bleakly ahead, "Plus you took shots at my friends last night. Keebs seemed like the guy for the job, I'm not a fuckin mind reader, I didn't know you guys were on the rocks."

"I wasn't taking shots at them!" She shouted defensively at the cell.

"That's exactly what you were doing, thieving a shirt and saying,  _'Eh your friends are weird, Gaara's gonna get neutered and Lee has Tourette's boners for Sakura'._ Member?"

Hinata sputtered out a laugh.

"Tourette's boner?! Really, now I'm certain you're spinning ridiculous lies."

"Let's just agree to disagree?"

"No, ass. I didn't say that!"

He nodded at her, warmth sparking like embers in his eyes, "You did, I might be off base as far as your exact words go but it was definitely somethin to that extent. Don't lie  _Hina_ , isn't it a deadly sin?"

"Nope, it's a commandment nerd!"

"Sin is sin."

"Shut up, we sinned this morning."

Naruto raised his brows, "And in the afternoon," he gaped, "do you think they have beds in hell?"

Hinata stifled a laugh, biting her lips, "No wonder my dad thinks you're the devil incarnate."

"I know where you get your dramatic side from. Your old man is the biggest diva to ever diva." Naruto snapped his fingers in a feminine manner and Hinata lost it, howling with laughter.

"Leave him alone."

"I wish he left me alone last week." Naruto replied flatly.

She could see the lean chiseled masterpiece of his abdomen, the hint of dark ink interrupted by his belt buckle. Even though he probably wasn't hard she could make out the outline of her favorite monster.  _Oh god._

Her collar felt hot and her heart and body throbbed in sync.

"I miss you so much, is the traffic letting up? I'm getting impatient."

The blonde ducked his head to look out the window and Hinata could hear a few horns from his end of the phone. Naruto shook his head.

"Complete standstill, probably a nasty accident ahead."

A shrieking siren, the unmistakable sound of an ambulance screamed out and Naruto looked over his shoulder, commenting to himself,  _'Dunno how they're s'pose to get through this clusterfuck._ ' The yellow headlights behind him piercing his eyes.

"You're a nasty accident." Hinata shot thoughtlessly.

"I'm gonna turn your insides into a nasty accident, soon as I get out of this."

"Oh?  _Mmmh_ , don't tease me babe." She admonishes liltingly, angling the camera to her hips and rolling them provocatively. Grinding against the mattress with a devilish little smirk.

Naruto lays back, blonde hair framing his face, atmosphere darkened eyes on her.

"You're so beautiful…and perfect,  _I know_ —I say it a lot but I hope the value of it never wears off," he says softly, eyes softening and peering at her with so much affection. It feels traceable. Like a force pressing through her cell. She smiles weakly at him, hugging her makeshift pillow (the blanket) tightly with one arm and adjusting the cellphone closer to her face. She pouts her lips up into a kiss and presses it to the front camera. The blonde places two fingers to his lips and lets it slip down to his shirted chest, he taps it twice, points the two fingers at Hinata and cocks them back like a gun.

They both laugh at this stupid exchange.

"Well, it has not  _thus_  far, I can't even imagine that it will ever get corny to me. I can hardly remember my life pre- _Naruto Uzumaki_. Seems like so long ago, a practical blur." Hinata admitted.

The blonde shovels his hair back but keeps his fingers buried in its wildness, he grinned, "You were high out of your fuckin' mind ninety-nine percent of the time, that probably had a lot to do with it the  _blur_."

"You weren't a saint either."

An adorable scoff/laugh came from him and his eyes lit up and Hinata was trapped in the daze of his mirth.

"Tch, I was a lot more tamed than you, you were _out_  there. There's this one time, I bought some stuff off Keebs and you were there, standing beside him looking terminal. No offense because, I'd still hit but you were out of it. Anyway, it's the first time I had ever seen you and you looked demure…and sweet. Man, was I wrong," he recalls, his eyes seemed so far away.

Hinata can't remember the day, she had come to college tons of times strung out and in a bit of a star dusted haze.

"Did I say something douche-y to you?"

"No," he says softly, "but I always assumed you were the shy type so I wouldn't have expected you to talk to me. You were clinging on to Keeb's jacket like your little life depended on it and your eyes were bloodshot and glazed but I still thought you were adorable and I couldn't keep my eyes off you. I kept wondering,  _what's this chick's story?_ "

Hinata laughed, bubbling with amusement, "Nothing good. I just wanted to be blasted all the time and eat skittles. I nearly flunked all my classes freshman year."

"The requirements of a decent freshmen year, just skating by. You exceeded the criteria."

Hinata nodded in agreement.

"You were still doing it though, smoking, when we first started dating." It's a statement, one that she knows she should be shocked about because she had always thought she was being sneaky. She wasn't doing it as often but, every now and again she'd take a detour to Kiba's and light up or toke.

"Yeah, you knew but you didn't say anything."

"Everyone dances with their demons, my god father would say," he says, pausing a beat before asking, "Is that why you're so hung on the Kiba thing, is he trying to tempt you into a relapse?"

"N—n—no it's not that, although that's definitely a good reason for me to steer clear of him."

"Then what is it, the real reason?"

She felt her palms getting clammy, her heart jackrabbiting in her chest. She stared into his eyes and sighed. She doesn't want to keep secrets and he'd figure it out anyway, the only difference is she wouldn't have the chance to defend herself.

_Here goes nothing._

"I've known Kiba since we were kids and we've never dated but we've had this kind of…" she trailed off, watching the way that those blue eyes tried to analyze her, "Friends with—uh—benefits…Kinda so…ya but there's nothing going on between us, I've never felt that kind of way but with me being under lock and key. I guess Kiba was kind of my…escape into the real world. It—it isn't like you and me an-"

"You had sex, with Kiba?"

There is a pregnant pause and her heartbeat spikes, and something cold slithers around in her gullet. Her skin feels feverish and she's contemplating the right move. She could hang up, she could do it. It would buy her some time to come up with a story-a lie, which is exactly what she shouldn't be doing.

_It's now or never._

"Do we have to hash this out...like this?"

"Did you?" he presses, gritting his teeth. 

"It was a long time ago, we were stupid and young."

Naruto nodded, angular jaws hard but he laughed humorlessly. Those blue eyes resembled crystalline ice sickles.

"And you're just now queuing me in about this?" his voice deepened, wintery, "He _fucked_  you."

She frowned.

"As I'm sure you've done with others before me, you don't see me going off about it."

"That isn't the point. The point is, he's had you and you continued to see him while we were together. There were some nights when you stayed at his place. Did you fool around then too and you're just waiting for a time later on to tell me?"

"N-no, no it's nothing like that I've never cheated on you..." she says though he doesn't look convinced, "It didn't seem relevant at the time, it still does-"

"It does, it is, I  _asked_ him to go help you and he was hella ecstatic. Why?" he asks acidly, though his eyes were peering calmly out the window, lips fogging up the glass.

"I-I don't know.."

" _Hina."_

"Naru-"

"Is there more? Because if there is..."

"More?" She asks, her stomach feels weightless.

"You and Kiba, are you uncertain of your feeli-"

"No, Kiba and I, that was just—he was just a tool for my rebellion. We were close, he was my only friend and the only one my dad could tolerate. It isn't like we've been fuckin for years, or things are deep because they're not. You're the first man I've ever loved…so don't even think that way, this isn't Twilight…I'm not pining after my former old friend or losing sleep over us being estranged. I love you Naruto Uzumaki, you're the one who pushed me to stay clean—you, you licked my wounds and you showered me in so much love…I can hardly remember what that pain was like. I love everything about you, even the annoying things you do like putting blue dye in the dish detergent this morning. Yes, I was pissed when I washed my hands but you're a joker and you're always making me smile. How could you even think for a second that I'd want anyone but you?"

He doesn't at her and the hurt is evident on his face, though his lips are locked to suppress it. She's never seen him mad, she's never been the one on the other end of an icy glare. It's been heard of, Sakura has told her that he could be a,  _'cold bastard'_  but she's always had her doubts. But right now, the air feels electric with tension and she knows there's some truth to Sakura's warning.

He leans forward, clearing his throat and nimbly buttoning his shirt, "Traffic's on the move, be there soon."

"Oh o-" the screen abruptly blacks out and she lays stagnant in the dark save from the sliver of moonlight. "-kay. What the hell." She props herself up, assuming her phone has died on her. At least that's what she's hoping anyway because the alternative doesn't seem real. She jabs her thumb into the home button and the dread deposits itself into her lungs. Her eyes prickle but she sucks in a deep breath to quell the dreadful sinking feeling.

Her phone light is on its dimmest and the battery shows, 88% full.

_He hung up on me.._

Her chest constricted and she let her phone drop. She closed her eyes and wondered how she could feel so wicked from confessing a truth.

If this was how he took that, she'd hate to tell him about the kiss. It was much more recent and inexcusable.

She didn't want to hurt him, she never does.

Hinata sits up in the bed, tucks her knees under her chin, arms hugging around her legs. She stares at the wall. The silence is deafening but at least she'd hear the best sound of the day soon and she'd battle those whispers in his ear with everything she has. She always does.


	12. Traffic pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata freaks about about Naruto's reaction, and calls Shino.  
> Naruto acts odd.

 

* * *

_"Hey, who's this?"_

"Seriousl-"

_"Just kiddin', can't take your call right now, leave a message if it's important; if not, don't flood the inbox."_

Hinata trapped her bottom lip between her teeth but decided not to bite down when the gnawing pain festered. Her lips pulsated irritably and her eyes were full with unshedded tears.

"Really, again!?"

She growls, this time more disappointed in herself for falling for it again. She pastes furiously around the bare bedroom in a towel, trying to gain control of the warring emotions that crippled any reasonable thinking. This included the ability to be outsmarted by an automatic response three times in a row. If she hadn't already been feeling incompetent as a girlfriend she'd stop in her tracks to mentally add,  _'dumber than a box of rocks'_  to the list of reasons why she deserved to be getting the cold shoulder.

**_Me [01: 16 A.M]_ **

_Ok, now I'm worried…please call me_

**_Me [01:30 A.M]_ **

_Babe, I know you're mad—please just call me and let me know you're ok…_

**_Me [01:45 A.M]_ **

_Babe I'm freaking out! Can you just say something…I'm losing my shit over here.._

**_Me [01:56 A.M]_ **

_Babe this hurts.._

It does, like someone mercilessly trying to wrench her heart from her chest with a pair of tongs. Her face burns hot and she stares at the messages blurrily, and unfocused. A few tears hit the screen, and the visible evidence only riles up her insides. Her stomach twists and she's using her wrist to wipe the unshed tears from the corners of her eyes.

Her heart was speeding several miles a minute, punctuating every beat with a dull ache.

She sniffles, trying to stifle the tide of emotions threatening to topple and suffocate her. The only thing that's holding her back from being the type of person to call the cops and file a missing report, is the fact that—she's certain he isn't in immediate danger. She logged into Facebook and found slight relief in the fact that he wished Iruka a happy belated birthday. Oddly enough Iruka was still awake and replied, with a long and drawn out, thank you. That was forty minutes ago.

The lump in her throat only expands as she allows the towel to drop and thumbs down her call history in search of someone that she knew would still be awake. She tapped the number. Once the first ring droned she padded the speaker option and tossed the phone on the air mattress.

"Hyuuga?"

"Shino," She sighed shakily, meaning to add more information but her chest constricted with tension and she pushed her palms against her eyes like that would help her keep it together. Needless to say, she was falling apart at the seams.

"Hinata?" Shino says, in a soothing monotone. It's calm, with an inflection of concern, "Breathe," he coached, "clear your mind, give your body a moment to assimilate to whatever is stirring within you and then, you'll be able to speak much clearly."

Hinata nodded, wishing she could easily drop the anxiety.

"That's it—just like that—you're doing well, and now, we exhale," he instructs, demonstrating with an exaggerated breath. Hinata closes her eyes and listens, trying to detach herself from the immediate problem for just a moment. She exhales in a tight quiver, feeling none too relieved, "Good, good, ok now inhale through your nose—out of your mouth and just repeat the process. I'll be on this end for as long as you need me to be. Give yourself time."

Her shoulders sag the more she follows along with the routine, and after a moment some of the density in her chest ebbs away, like a weight rolling off her. The desperation is still there, clawing to be acknowledge but it's manageable. She doesn't know what's happening but blowing things out of proportion and assuming the worse won't make her feel any better.

_Easier thought than done._

It's her fault after all and she doesn't get to put a limit on when he accepted what she told him. Naruto was a perceptive creature to the core, he could probably go down a long list of memories where he was present around she and Kiba. Probably believing that there were signs that he just ignored and more than likely assuming that he was being played the entire time. And that's the kind of thinking, she prays doesn't discourage him or make him think things have been a lie.

Where she was possessive, Naruto exceeds the bar. No one in their gang of friends would recognize it in him, because he doesn't wear it openly or celebrate it as some type of evidence of love. Hinata wouldn't know herself, had she not been exposed to it up close and personal when they're alone. It's him sucking bruises into her skin when she repeatedly protests it, it's when he's standing close behind her in public and pressing himself discreetly against her backside. It's when they're at some speakeasy drinking and he grabs her stool and yanks it close to him, under the guise of,  _'stretching his legs and using her stool bars.'_  It's that murderous look he gives the cashier at the supermarket when the guy openly flirts with Hinata, although she casually tries to dissuade him. And there's no doubt about it, when he's laying the pipe into her mercilessly and repeatedly telling her that her _ass_  belongs to him. The gravelly, smoky tone hardly sounds like him when he's saying it, but when he's setting that punishing pace without tiring—it easily triggers her submission.

She trembles and takes in a final inhale.

"Still there?" she asks, snatching sheeny purple shorts from the mattress. The cool and smooth material is much welcomed. Though the shorts may as well be underwear, as scanty as they were.

"Yeah, you ok?" Shino replies in sotto voce, somewhat distractedly and then he clears his throat, "What's happened?"

Which part? The part where she had gotten so riled up—she took the third shower of the day or the part where she stalked her fiancés social media foolishly believing that he'd retaliate by immediately doing something as damaging to their relationship. Like having an affair with one of the many sharply dressed women who practically commented under everything he's ever posted. It was a childish thing to assume, that he'd stoop so low but she was sure that's exactly what Sakura had thought. Before Sasuke did what he had but Naruto wasn't Sasuke.

"Well," she says trying to collect her thoughts, "As you know, I'm a glutton for punishment. I'm starting to think there's some truth to my dad saying,  _'Hinata you'll never be happy unless you let the lord in your heart and accept him as your savior.'_ "

Shino made a short sound that Hinata identified as a laugh. Something akin to a,  _'Ha'_ but scarily abrupt and throaty. Like a cat coughing up a fur ball.

"Atheist here, there's no such thing as true happiness, you Hyuugas are delusional bible thumpers. Hell is a state of mind and god is a scare tactic created by the system."

She pulled the satin material of the shorts up her legs and past her thighs. They had either shrunk or she's been putting on a few pounds. She writhes at the waist just to get them past her hips. Once they were snug and panty-like around her she didn't bother with the drawstring.

"Don't loop me in with the other two crazies. I'm not saying that I don't believe in a higher power, I'm just saying—I won't knock them for believing in something. As much as you try to deny the existence of happiness, I've seen you smile Mister cynical."

"Usually for the sake of others. To maintain a sense of normalcy in a world where people can perceive me as a deviant or suicidal or mentally unstable because I don't hand out my sentiments so freely."

"Keep hiding behind those, the-bleak-outlook-on-life-shades, Scott Summers." Hinata teased, tossing a tank top over her head and pulling her arms through. She pulled the ringlets of black—purplish hair from her back and the damp mess stuck to her neck and shoulders.

"Thanks, Scott's a badass mofo, but what's going on with you, i.e you calling me at the killing hour?"

Hinata sighed, "Bypassing the Smalltalk, you must be worn out?"

"No, it's just, five minutes ago it seemed like you were on the verge of death so now I'm just, waiting patiently and waiting patiently..."

Hina plopped down on the bed, breathing in the scent of the saccharine marmalade body wash she had snagged early on this month. She almost forgot the, B&BW bag on the upper shelf of the storage closet in the bathroom. She hadn't been looking for body wash of her own because she's been so obsessed with using Naruto's.

"To make a long story short, I told Naruto about Kiba and I. He was livid, so livid—but in a controlled way that I expected him to bring home to me, so I can fix. Only—he hasn't come home. And I feel like he's gonna go all Bruce Banner on Kiba or…just do something uncharacteristic. I dunno what to do, I've called him repeated. He's ignoring me, which, I know I have no right to be mad about but I am. Do you think I'm over reacting?"

There was dead silence on Shino's end, he sighed and she could hear the bedsprings popping.

"You, a Hyuuga, overreacting? No."

Hinata's brows flatlined, "Harty, har, har."

"Give him his space. It's supposed to bother you—that he's ignoring you but maybe he's the type of guy who needs the space to level out their temper."

"He hung up on me..."

"Once again, that seems preferable than if he'd decided to lay into you. From my point of view, I get where you're coming from. I know, that you and Kiba's time has come and gone and you're better off without his toxic influence. I've known this since you two ditched me back then but you see, on the other hand, your fiancé might've interpreted this as a backstabbing that's been in action since he began to court you."

"The shade was unnecessary." Hinata groused.

"Shut up, child."

"Yes ma'am."

"It's as you said, you're not allowed to be mad at him. He'll come home when or  _if_  he wants to, he'll either sleep it off or he may confront you the way you seem to be begging for. I don't understand why women are so confrontational but I hope, he's a reasonable guy who doesn't demean you with derogatory remarks based on your deceptive behavior. And by deceptive, I mean, keeping this secret. It would seed doubt into any man's head dearest Hinata."

Hinata simply stared at her bare toes, hanging over the air mattress. She could hear the vague sounds of midnight insects, tires zipping over granite and horns off in the distance.

"It'll blow over, it's your first offense. He'll do things too but you two just have to love each other enough, to the point where-nothing is more scarier than losing what you have, what you've built over the years."

"I know, and I don't want to lose him…especially not over this."

"It was just a kiss, when you explain just how caught off guard you were, he'll understand that you didn't initiate it."

She closed her eyes and fell back into the bed, beside her cell, which had gone idle; displaying the time and a default screensaver of a puppy in a teacup.

"That's the thing, I—I didn't even tell him about the kiss."

"What the what? Why? Have you never heard of ripping a bandage off?"

Hinata pounded herself in the forehead with her tiny fist, "I know, I know. I just told him about the past when we fooled around occasionally."

"What!?" Shino shouts, in a way that didn't vary too much from his usual monotone, "That's a bazillion times worse than the kiss."

"But nowhere near as recent and sex is just sex. If I told him about the kiss, he'd want to know what led up to it and I'd have to explain that Kiba confessed shit and then he'd-ugh—uh I just—maybe you're right I just need to let this play out. Stand back and remain as impassive as I can."

Shino scoffed, "Sure, impassive, because you know the meaning of being subtle about anything."

Hinata raised her nose and shrugged, "I know su'in-su'in."

"You couldn't maintain a stasis with perfect balance, something in your head will encourage you to tip the scale."

"Thanks, with friends like you who needs enemies."

"A good friend is supposed to be able to tear you down, so that no one else has the power to do so."

Hinata rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to spout off a witty remark but the unmistakable sound of keys being jammed into the door had her jolting upright. The front door knob twisted with an unmistakable twist and she grabbed her phone.

"Hinata?" Shino asks, his voice betraying him with its bewilderment. She clicked off the speaker and mashed the phone to her ear, flutters of panic rushing back into her system.

"He—he's home."

"Oh, let me know how it goes. If I were you, I'd throw in the kiss bit."

Hinata grimaced.

"That seems like driving the last nail into a coffin."

"Even the dead need closure, right? Good luck, night."

"Night Shino, thanks."

"Don't mention it."

* * *

It takes a couple of minutes but eventually she gathers up enough nerve and willpower to linger in the dark narrow hallway and then after another eternal moment of internal deliberation, she steps into the point of no return.

The whirling ceiling fan and lurid living room light are both in use but the living room is uninhabited and emptier than the day she moved in. She starts to wonder if she had imagined the sound when something knocks against the kitchen counter.

She spins around,heart in her throat. The light doesn't reach him but she knows it's him. The kitchen is cast in an infinite veil of darkness that the living room light can't reach.

He's sitting on the counter, fully dressed, though his tie was no longer wound around his neck. She can smell his musk, that outdoorsy—wild pine scent and the body wash that has her head swimming in ecstasy.

"Hey…"

It's dumb but it's all she can come up with. He doesn't answer, instead he tips a transparent green liquor bottle up and quaffs it, like a bottle of Smart-water.

Her spine goes cold and she finds herself, folding her arms nervously over her chest and staring down at her toes. She still wants to be mad, she's fighting the parts of her that want to lash out about him ignoring her.

"Hey." He says lightly, the hoarse sound of his voice surrounds her and envelopes her in warmth, even if it's owner remained frigid.

"Where were you?" It's hesitant, cautionary and frail but it's her voice. Her heart stammers and her stomach tightens, though bile raises in her throat and a nauseous feeling swarms her. She takes a step towards him, eye's peering into the darkness—to where she assumed his eyes were.

He shrugs languidly, "Had a few birthday drinks with Iruka, didn't think you'd mind."

_Oh? So that's where he's been, Iruka. Well, I wouldn't have panicked if I knew that-if you weren't ignoring me! Calm down, we can't be mad._

"I see," She says, "How is he, Iruka?"

"Same ol', same ol', thinks we're making a horrible mistake by moving—asks if he can visit us."

"Naturally, I bet you told him he was being ridiculous and invited him to move in with us."

Naruto laughs, "Should've," he comments weakly.

"Why didn't you?" she asks, more so to keep him talking rather than seriously contemplating the idea of Iruka taking up permanent resident with them. They'd be flooded by books, saltine crackers, old spice and old army camouflage-themed furniture. The old man loved being veteran status, he practically wore that pride like priceless jewelry.

"Come here," Naruto suddenly says, pulling her from her thoughts. It's said very rigidly, in that smoky voice that reminds her of winter, wolves and a bitter wind. It isn't warm but the command itself gives her a reason to be close. So she takes it.

Biting her bottom lip, she stared deeper into the darkness, forgetting how to breathe for a second. Ok, so he was acting unusual? Why turn on the living room lights and brood in the kitchen? Was he mad?  _What do you think, he's ignored you for two hours?!_

Regardless, she'd handle the situation with aplomb. At least one of them should.

Her stomach flopped around as she began to move forward, without fluidity. Not even a decompression chamber could make her feel any lighter. Her heart thrashed through her ears and she came to a standstill right in front of his knees, which parted slight, invitingly.

He placed the bottle down on the counter and without ceremony he groped a hand full of her ass and hoisted her into his lap, despite her minor protest of,  _'what are you doing?'_. The motion is nowhere near smooth and the splitting pain of her knee banging against the sharp edge of the counter makes her whine.

"Calm down-I've got you." Naruto says softly, a little laugh in his throat as he forces her legs open and clumsily assists her in straddling him. He then scoots until his back is against the wall and Hinata is rooted, with perfect posture, on his lap. She paws at his shirt to maintain balance and bites self-consciously on her bottom lip.

She wants to talk, she wants to get to the bottom of things and forget all about the terrifying mess of tonight. For several moments it's quiet and awkward, neither one of them trying to fill the silence.

"We should talk," She says meekly, "I-I'm-I'm sorry an-"

"Shh, we can talk tomorrow, I have a day off. Right now, I need to touch you."

His callous hot fingers are roaming her shoulders, then wrapping experimentally around her neck before finally sliding up her delicate jaw and groping either side of her face. The rough touch drew several involuntary spasms from her and her skin tangles, marred by his reckless touch.

"Will you let me?" He asks sleepily, like there's doubt in his mind that she would. She nods reluctantly, mortified about tomorrow, confused about his behavior.

He's none too gentle about it; his fingertips scraping past her cheeks and into the mess of her hair. He fists her hair so tightly she can feel the follicles being ripped from her scalp. It stings and her eyes brim with tears.

"Ouc-"

The words are evaporating on her tongue when he tugs her towards him in deranged passion, one hand still fisted in her hair—an arm wound tightly around her waist, pressing her down against his half-erect cock.

Their teeth clatter momentarily and then his lips engulf her swollen ones with its hellish and persuasive suction. Flurries of tangles dance down her body. Hinata drags her lips lazily over his with a shudder. She can feel the discomfort of her smooth shorts, the more things turn her on. Her hips rock of their own volition, using his cock to heighten the pressure against her overstimulated, throbbing, sex as he hungrily ruts below her.

For several lingering moments—she couldn't feel his beer and ramen mingled breath on her face. The stubble is rough against her smooth face, like sandpaper scraping her to the bone. She ignores it, as their lips meld together and the bitter taste of beer goes stale on her tongue and she moans helplessly into his mouth. His breath suddenly crashes, it's uneven, guttural and fierce.

She's surrounded by him on all fronts and her body hasn't stopped its quiver of anticipation.

Searing heat, that's what he is and she just wants to fall into him and burn out. Burn from the inside out, like a falling star that's just too tired of hanging in the balance.

Hinata reaches back to pry his hand from her hair, and guides it to her breast. She squeezes at his defined knuckles trying to coax him into the grope. Naruto squeezes the life out of breast, eliciting a strangled cry from her that he drowns, thrusting an elaborate tongue into her mouth. The pain blossoms into pleasure as his tongue licks a stripe over her tongue testily and then it presses more firmly against her's, flicking over it very patiently, savory even. The corners of their lips meet up and their lips mash together like hot velvet. Naruto devours her lips favorably, lingering on a few often to nip her bottom lip.

The brunette rolls her hips sensually, like a sultry dance. His cock is straining against his pants but she can still feel it's mass, throbbing achingly against her sex as she undulates herself over him with nice, slow, precision.

Their pants are loud, lewd and uncaring. Clouding mind and making her body feel divine.

Wet hot lips drag down a column of her throat, sucking and kissing where her was pulse pounding. She stares dazed up at the ceiling, mouth agape with a shuddering breath. Her eyes roll to the back of her head the moment that exquisite tongue drags itself slowly up to her earlobe and he whispers,  _"I wanna taste you."_

 _"Uh."_  Is the only word she can vocalize, in a sultry moan, face flushed with desire. He leaves a line of wet hot kisses along her collarbone, taking his time.

His fingers run up under the back of her tank top, the material riding up her stomach, his fingers dragging firmly up her spine, over her shoulders. Hinata raised her arms and he pulled the shirt up and tossed it aside. She could hear it land softly below them.

Hinata props herself on her knees, still straddling his lap. Her hips are slanted, long slightly pale torso exposed as she arches her back and cups her breast. She never wears a bra to bed so that eliminated the typical clasp fight from his agenda. Naruto's runs the back of his knuckles along her milky skin, arousing spasms in his wake.

"Sexy," he comments ducking his head to kiss her stomach. His hair tickles, like feathers against her chest, "Smooth," he places another kiss, "beautiful, my gorgeous fiancee. I've been waiting to ravish you all day, to lick all over your sweet spot until you go limp...until you do that thing, when you're crying and begging and screaming..."

He says, barely dragging the tips of his fingers down the small of her back.

"Evil..."

"It drives you crazy, and you, you drive me..."

He leans forward, pressing a kiss to her ring finger. She spreads two fingers apart and her left nipple is scissored between them.

He tilts his head and covers the pert nub and rouged areola. Hinata shy's away from the scolding heat of the flickering muscle, stomach caving in but he fondles two her lush ass and traps her against his mouth. His fingers working their way underneath the material of the shorts and kneading her backside generously.

"Uh, uh-uh."

He flickers the swollen bud with the underside of his tongue, leaving her nipple wet before he slurps and suctions it again. A tingly sensation sets off multiple clit inducing palpitations and she watches him go at it tenderly.

Hinata spasms, lashes fluttering, losing any semblance of composure. "Oh my go—go—od." She moans, kittenish, feeling his tongue flatten against her hardened nipple before swiping his tongue up lightly. He tastes her fingers, that are kneading her breast and traces his tongue loosely back over her aroused bud. Heated threads of saliva trekking down her fingers, down her wrist, down her rib-cage. Her body ticks sporadically, her vertebrae unsteady as he continued to stimulate her extremely sensitive nipple.

Her satin shorts are drenched, she quivers at the feeling of her balmy juices trickle down her inner thigh.

While he continues with his menstruation's, Hinata takes the initiative to do some exploring of her own. She noisily unbuckles his belt, and gasps when she feels his teeth trapping the hardened nub of her nipple. He presses down firmly on it. Hinata's toes curl at the intense sensation, radiating with immense pleasure.  _"Ah!"_  She gasps with startling exhilaration. He kisses it thoroughly, apologetically, in lieu of speaking it out loud.

Warmer, larger hands covered her own and stilled them. Hinata looked up, meeting warm faded blue eyes behind lazy lids. Naruto made quick work of unzipping his pants and carefully fishing out his cock, over the strict band of his briefs. He strokes it halfheartedly a few times, dragging his teeth bruisingly over her ribs in a wholesome bite.

She reaches a hand down between them to stroke the head of his cock, by now it's veritably supercharged, jittering from the tension. Pearlescent beads of precum spill from the slit of his engorged member. Naruto hisses at the feeling of her dainty graceful fingers stroking cum around the head of his cock. His head falls back against the wall behind him with a,  _thunk._

"Fuck, that feels good," He says, a low groan escaping the confines of his throat. She could feel his body trembling beneath her with all the pent-up sexual intent and desperation. His jaw hardened and he grits his teeth, "God, I'm gonna fuc…" His voice trails off, breath shallow, "Both hands  _gorgeous,_  safety first. Listen to  _daddy_."

Those words send a delicious little tingle over every notch in her spine.

"Shut up." she murmurs, although she does add the other hand.

The sound of flesh being rigorously caressed with sticky, slick, fluids surrounds the kitchen and Naruto fists a hand in his short blonde hair, watching her coat the tip of his cock in his hot prelude. Precum still weeps from his slit, sliding over her fingers. Naruto held her hips tightly, sucking in a sharp breath.

"You should stop, you're gonna make me waste some kids." He admonishes, low and dark. Which, to be honest, made Hinata want to continue. She loved to watch him come completely undone, knowing she had that kind of power over him.

"Waste away, _zaddy_." She urges with a light chuckle, using her free hand to tip his jaw up, making sure he watched her when she traced a soiled digit with her tongue and slurped her fingers into her mouth. One by one, humming around her fingers. She couldn't make out his expression but if the wavering of his breath was anything to go by, she'd say he'd be wasting that nut soon.

She withdrew each finger with a, wanton pop of her lips.

"You've made me cum twice today. What kind of a gentlemen would I be, if I didn't make you pay."

_Pay?_

She began to protest but he brushed her hand off the engorged demon. The blonde fluidly picked her up, one arm strung around her waist. He placed her down on her own two feet and pulled up his pants, wrestling them over the protruding presence of his dick without zipping them.

"Bedroom, now." He says, cuffing her wrist and languidly towing her along.

She honestly doesn't know what the hell is happening. 


	13. Traffic Pt. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto and Hinata reconcile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp boys and girls before you read this, I'm going to warn you that...it's messy. I'm sorry, but, there ya go. Also this chapter of NaruHina's engaged life is over but there's moreeee. I'll be starting a new fic (from this AU, if you'd still like to read). The paste is much quicker and not just an entire day of drama. Initially, this fiction was written more as an experimental project but I've been enjoying it. Anyway, thank you for reading my weird modern Naruto AU. Be sure to keep an eye out for the next, 'installment' and thanks for the support. Focker out.

 

* * *

Things were either moving much too fast too soon or her lust-addled mind and  _drunk-in-passion_  motions, had rendered her a sluggish mess.

Hinata doesn't have a punctual bedtime to tether her to a routine but she was certain that she'd be tuckered out by now. Blissfully wedged between Naruto, the warmest creature on Earth and a nice cool spare pillow to cradle against her chest and lock her ankles around.

Tonight or—was it morning? Whatever, right now, however, she feels the wind whistle sharply through her ears. Like she's plummeting through the spheres, past the clouds and catching fire-crashing back into the body her spirit had unconsciously fled.

She's not a contortionist, not even close, but even she's impressed that she's managed to look as lithe and limbless as she does, back arched to the gods as she tries to escape a ton of hell locked around the pearled tip of her clit.

He eases off her, kissing her inner thigh, hands locked around her ankles.

Her heart hammers in tandem with the aching throb of her wet sweet gash. Her body spasms, spine straightening against the buoyant air mattress as her hips sunk down—legs tremoring despite her efforts to tame them.

"I'm not finished, and if you keep moving, I never will be," a voice assures her, breaking through her foggy, spinning mind. She watches the ceiling fan over the bed circulate but offer no relief from the inferno. Her naked back is damp against the downy blanket, her stomach rises and falls wildly as she pulls in lungsful of air. Breathing hadn't even occurred to her while she performed the critical yoga pose, oddly referred to as, kapotasana or some variant of it anyway. None of it was intentional or natural. She couldn't even perform the stupid thing when she had attended the classes as Temari's plus one.

"Babe," she breathed with great difficulty, "stoppit please," she begged, dragging a palm down her sweat sheened stomach and pressing her palm against his bedraggled head of hair, "Please," she cried shakily, tears rolling down the crooks of her eyes. It's too much, the stimulation both psychologically and physically are equally driving her nuts. Coupled with the fact that, you know, the love of her life is devouring her pussy like it contained manna from heaven.

Naruto sucks in a breath, like he's prepping himself, "Do you really want me to stop? Or does it turn you on, the whole acting like a victim thing?"

_Acting?_

His fingers are steel, slipping up her legs and down the slope of her thighs firmly. He backtracked his actions, gripping her thighs and prying the shaky things apart, though Hinata opposes him with a laughable amount of strength. He humors her for a split second, pretending that her hand on his head is some impenetrable force, he's incapable of outsmarting. Eventually though, he fends off the protesting hand, ducking his head down and dragging his feast toward him.

Hinata's fingers fisting the sheets reflexively. She manages to prop up on one elbow. The drafty room, strikes again and the sweat on her back freezes. Her arm strength is a miraculous failure that results in her elbows wobbling and her arm edging closer to muscle failure.

"You're just toying with me." She groans, head tipping to the side as she examined him between her legs. The bedroom is cast in darkness but she can feel his proximity, his all-encompassing essence. She could be blindfolded, sift through a lineup of men and still manage to find him.

"So?"

Wet lips plant an open mouth kiss against the skin of her inner thigh. It's soft, amorous and delicate, like a dew sprinkled rose petal in early summer. It's an action that lingers even after his lips whisper another kiss, higher than the last—with just as much fervor.

"So," she enunciated in a quaky voice, "Has anyone ever told you, not to play with your food? Being an orphan isn't an  excuse either."

He chuckled lightly, "The day food tastes anything like you, is the day I'd be known as the resident glutton  _gorgeous_ ," another kiss, higher, teeth grazing her skin lightly and arousing a swirl of activity beneath his skin.

"Chouji be damned, huh?" Hinata commented, jitterily, teeth digging into her bottom lip.

"Mmhm," he grunts noncommittally, too occupied with his ministrations.

Her shorts were uncomfortably lodged in her crack and high on her waist. The front seat of the silk shorts had been sopping wet from Naruto's saliva, and soiled with her glistening, thick, nectar. She could feel herself throbbing maddeningly against the dampened seat, which had been strategically placed between her folds to pressure her pulsating clit.

He placed another sweltering kiss, higher than the last and Hinata crumbled with anticipation. Feeling his breath ghost her seconds before his slick tongue traces up a bare fold. The audible sound of the wet muscle dragging across her skin is enough to do her in. Her shoulders lurched forward at the same time a quavering moan drips from her lips.

Instinctively her legs want to snap shut because the sensory is unbearable but she felt him wrap his hands around her thighs and pry them further apart, until her knees were uselessly pinned on either side of her. The elasticity of her muscles are rusty and for a moment, her body rejects the painfully forced position but Naruto gives her no hope of ever escaping. Gradually, her taunt muscles melt, submissively.

" _Hina,_  I need you," he says softly, voice like smoke below her, "open those pretty little lips for me."

Her spine shakes at the command but her fingers are already loyal to him, slipping down her stomach and feeling him move to plant a chaste kiss on her forearm.  _"Good girl."_

Hinata sheepishly slides the drenched seat aside, until her moist sex is fully exposed. Her fingers slip across her juices but she manages to part her folds with two clumsy, nerve frenzied, fingers. She can feel her excitement spilling uncontrollably from her and she hears him make a deep noise of appreciation.

"This is the wettest you've ever been."

 _And this is the scariest and sexiest you've ever been,_ she wants to reply but knows better and saves it for another time when the man wasn't about to torture the soul from her body.

Without meditation, he was suddenly trapping her again. Warm, slick, heat engulfs the entirety of her thrumming clitoris and her head falls back with a breathy moan of,  _'oh!'_. Her jaw goes slack and her lashes flutter. She sees stars and feels butterflies frantically fluttering through her bloodstream. She can feel his mouth and tongue tousling her around in his hellish mouth, rugged stubble scraping her inner thigh roughly.

 _'Babebabeabeee, aurgh—you're gonna make me—co—uh!'_ She whimpers, kiss swollen lips hanging open.

Her thighs tense up, and the two fingers spreading her open for him, extend a little wider and she can hear his groan of approval vibrating through her tender slit. Her hips jolt slightly and she's screaming at the ceiling. He's tilting his head to further shamelessly consume her; with thorough, hungry, strokes. Tracing circles and putting pressure against the right places. The headiness feels almost dreamlike, and her bones feel so heavy.

He rolls his tongue lightly under the hood of her clit. Hinata yelps, bucking against him, " _Ah_ , keep doing it—keep— _ah_." She's whimpering, in short little breaths that rock her body, hips trying to move but Naruto keeps her from escaping.

She's in a haze of heat, ecstasy and intense stimulation. The sensation only intensifies when he continues to do as she asks and he moans into her. The throaty sound sends off vibrations and she jolts involuntarily—genuinely reduced to whines, pleas and shudders.

Naruto's tongue flickers over the tight hard pearl of her clit, often swiping her fingertips in the process. Hinata can practically feel her sex tingling, pulse hammering and moisture collecting. In her state of carnal disorientation her fingers retract from their task but that doesn't thwart the blonde, who hungrily separates the folds himself, stretching her as wide as possible.

His mouth is on her immediately, tongue inching its way into the gushy contracting orifice of her cunt. Hinata hisses sharply, crying out and writhing, toes en pointe on the mattress.

Her fingers fist his hair, evoking a growl. He grabs the underside of her left thigh and pushes her knee off to the side, giving him more access. He flickers his tongue ceaselessly over her bud, stopping every so often to add suction. She pulls him closer, canting almost imperceptibly against him. A tease she knew would spur him on, he's always been a giver and unselfish.

Their ragged breaths mixed like a song and she could feel herself nearing a familiar wave that relied on more. More. More to overcome it.

"More," She finds herself vocalizing shyly, "I want to feel it inside..."

Unceremoniously, she's being rolled onto her stomach and dragged to the edge of the bed. Still in a daze, she doesn't think to ask, hell, she can hardly breath. Her lips are moist and she can feel drool trekking down the corner of her lip. Naruto murmurs incoherently behind her for a moment but she can't separate the haze quick enough to comprehend. Strong, warm, hands are suddenly pulling her down to the ground and molding her into a strange position.

The floorboards are icy against her warm ribs. Naruto has her laying on her side and she already recognizes this position as the punishment position. Normally she protested the hell out of it because she just couldn't take that much, at this angle but her lips can hardly form a single thought after the diligent session of being eaten out.

Hinata can feel precum leaking warmly on her legs as he approached on hands and knees, "Are you still in there?" he asks gently, hovering over her. Blue eyes piercing through the dark and she's mesmerized by the look in his eyes. Unable to stop herself, she sits up and tosses her arms around his neck and their mouths latch.

It's slow, building, hot, deep, desperate and scared and then she feels it. For the first time since, they first made love, she can feel something conflicting in his motions. His fingers come up to grab her face and his hands are shaking weakly but he sighs out a,  _'beautiful.'_  She feels in tune with him, the way an empath gathers intel through touch. He traps her face between his hands, trying to calm himself and she can taste the anger the moment he bites her lips. She can taste copper on her beating lips.

He keeps kissing, furiously, sucking hard marks into her lips. Their faces are damp with sweat and tears and saliva.

As much as she wants to stop, she can't, and he's hoisting her up by the ass, like a rag doll. He stumbles around in what feels like (to Hinata) a circle, like they're on a carousel. Their lips turn to shards of glass and they viciously rip each other apart. Her spine hits the wall and so does her head with a skull splitting crack.

She surrenders to primal instinct and bites at the corner of his lip, hearing him groan sexily and mash her against the wall, bare chest and all its gym-firmed-success keeping her cemented. Her nipples pebbled against his sweat sheened chest.

The blonde trails kisses across her cheek, and along the delicate line of her jaw.

They've never done it this way before, against the wall. She never imagined that they could, it seemed like a strenuous position but her lover seems to be blessed with an abundant amount of strength and endurance tonight—or today.

She closes her eyes, trying to memorize the tender kisses being dragged up her earlobe. Hinata whispered his name blissfully and he whispers hers in her ear. It's like being on cloud nine and she wants to live in the moment forever, tangled around him—being held together by his unparalleled strength.

"Whatever you did," he says, one hand roaming along her thigh exploratively, "I don't care. You're  _mine_ right here—now, it doesn't matter what's happened between then and now. I want  _you,_  every piece of you and no one is gonna come between us." He says and adds in a playful whisper _, "I'd catch a case."_

She has no doubt that it's true, which makes her grin.

They're rock still, though her mind is reeling.

"I love you, I'm so hopelessly in love with you,  _nerd._  You've changed my life. No one else matters, only you, only me, and this…" she turns her head and presses an innocent kiss to his cheek. She doesn't miss when his eyes close and his jaws tense. She digs her fingernails nails into his shoulder blades, marring his skin with crescents. She then scrapes her fingernails up until they reach his shoulders. She tightens her legs around his hips and uses it as momentum to inch herself higher up the wall.

Hinata nurses his face to hers and pulls him into a nice, sweet kiss, a change of paste from the others prior. Naruto breaths into the kiss, his musk thick with his bare ethereal scent and she loves being engulfed in it. One of his hands come up to lightly brushing her cascading hair from her face, finger nails scratching her scalp and holding her head close.

"You can tell me anything,  _Hina._ Don't ever hesitate to tell me stuff, I'd never hurt you, I can be a little hot tempered but I can't imagine putting my hands on you that way," he says breaking the kiss, lips moving against hers, "I've gotten into a ton of fights with people ten times my age but none of them were women and none of them, someone I care for."

"I wasn't afraid, I just," she sighed, "I dunno, I really wish I had a good explanation babe but I don't."

"Good because, I don't want to hear one," he says kissing on her jaw, "I want to bury myself inside you…I want to fill you up and I want to feel you all around me, squeezing me, "he whispers, "and then, I'm gonna cum so fuckin'  _deep_ inside you."

_Uh…_

"Um, not on birth control here and even if I were, that'd still be taking a risk." She says in a small voice, nearly abandoning the argument the moment he slanted wet kisses across her throat.

He doesn't reply and she wonders if she should be a bit more persistent but the time passes nauseatingly hastily.

Naruto, hooks his fingers through the seat of the shorts—knuckles brushing her soaked pussy, and yanks the material so hard it shreds slightly. Hinata yelps about the discomfort but the blonde is already angling his hips and his dick. He grabs her hips and dips his slightly; lining his prelude glistening demon dick with her drooling cunt.

She doesn't get the chance to prepare herself before he's driving his hips up with all the force of a zipping bullet. It's a dizzying action that has Hinata locking her ankles tightly around his sturdy hips for stability as he starts fucking her up the wall. She straps her arms around him, and he sets a gentle paste initially, his fingers spreading her ass cheeks apart and isolating the sole purpose of his attack.

"Dripping all over my cock…" he murmurs in awe, the paste is rhythmic as he lifts her ass and brings it firmly down on himself.

Hinata's shoulder blades are pressed back against the cool wall, her back is ached and her supple ass rests in his capable hands. Her nipples tingle as they drag across the deep crevices of tensed muscles and sweat.

He presses her harder into the wall, raising his head up to chase her lips but they don't kiss. Their lips and noses graze, breaths pluming with exhaustion as they savored the moment. His fingers kneading and bruising her backside, keeping them apart as he began jerking his hips more powerfully. The sound of skin smacking reverberating off the walls, through her ears, shuddering down her form.

Hinata choked on a gasp at the sudden harsh motion. Feeling the full-blown length and its overwhelming pressure in her lower stomach. Naruto rolled his hips, in a nice dragging motion, stuffing more and more of himself inside of her tight warm heat. He rubbed up against her inner walls, shaking with restraint, and she could feel the hum of electricity under his burning flesh.

His muscles were taut and disciplined, every time he fucked up into her. Punishing her efficiently, grunting and groaning.

"Naruto-kun," she sang, remembering how she referred to him all through college. She always thought it annoyed him but he's admitted it turns him on.

He makes a type of noise, the type of love rumbling from his chest that causes her to clinch around his cock. He braces one hand against the wall and the other straps like an iron rod around the small of her back. He starts pistoning ravenously up into her.

_"Ah, ah, ah!"_

Her tummy bursts with immense pleasure and she's thinking about him being inside of her. She's thinking about how they're both throbbing and connecting and how much he loves her. He might've been dog-tired but he stayed awake to give her this, to give her the last sliver of himself, in spite of her half-assed confession. It's unlike anything she's ever experienced with anyone, this type of need, this type of intense longing. It rolls right off him and sparks her  _rumored_  soul.

Loud squelching noises filling her ears as she bounces back against him, trying to ride him and meet his every thrust.

"Come for me baby," he says through breaths, "I want to feel you, spilling all over me."

_That does it._

She's bites into his neck to stifle the stupid words that want to flood out of her mouth. She's driving her hips down the thick aching line that connects them and with reckless abandon he's sinking his fingers deeper into the skin of her plump backside, pummeling her into the wall. He pants out a string of praise against her hair, his hips moving vigorously.

She wouldn't last long, feeling his hot rod slamming into her g-spot relentlessly. Her breath hitches as her body convulsed beyond her control. Her arms and legs locked around him as the waves of her orgasm crashed over her with a crippling vengeance, her hips rolled involuntarily. She had never been so loud, yelling his name and clenching down on him with a vice grip.

"Fuck, gorgeous, I'm coming inside of you, I can't pull out, this feels—you feel so—so  _friggin_ good, s-s-o.." He groans and she could have sworn he says,  _"Christmas",_ as he continued to drive into her, fucking her through the aftershocks.

She felt phenomenally high and braindead. Her entire body felt like a swarm of happy butterflies. Happily, on fire.

Then she felt the demon tense and twitch, unleashing hot thick ropes of cum deep inside of her. Her stomach felt warm and toasty. Her mouth hung open, and she felt her insides clenching of their own volition repeatedly. Her body flinching each time. Naruto held her tightly around the waist, riding it out with deep breaths, shivering against her although his body temperature had been the highest of the two.

"I can't believe I let you come in me."

She says, out of breath.

"Me neither, I guess I finally wore you down," he huffs, holding her in his arms and walking towards the bathroom awkwardly, limply inside her, "I told you you'd end up pregnant."

He switches on the light in the bathroom and they both wince at the sudden burst of brightness. The concoction of their juices run lukewarm down her thighs and she makes a face,  _'eh'._

Naruto placed her on the empty bathroom counter, his flaccid cock slipping out of her, coated in creamy slick. He quickly hustled over to grab a Kleenex box from a cabinet beneath the sink, snagging a few sheets. He cleans himself up and wipes Hinata down.

"It doesn't work that way. I'll just go get some morning after pills and we'll write this off as a onetime thrill ride."

She watches him yank back the shower curtain and twist at the knob. His hair is a mess, and she can already see her handiwork, welting up his shoulder blades. Purpling gashes like a cat's claws over dense muscle. There are other marks too, burns from his childhood, discolored in dark patches a few shades darker than his skin tone. Some untold story, another person that she'd probably hate. But none of that broke him and for that she was grateful.

"I wouldn't be upset, if it does happen." He admits.

 _Of course, you wouldn't be, you're pursuing your dreams and making a killing._ She wants to say out loud but felt it would give off the wrong impression. She was happy that his life seemed to be going according to his plan, it's just, her life isn't like that at all. She's still taking online classes towards her major.

She isn't feeling comfortable financially, not enough to just want a baby and raise it off love alone. Kids needed things, they needed loads of support and of course she would have that with Naruto but she wanted to be able to not depend on him for everything.

She wanted their children (if ever they decide to conceive) to be proud of both their parents and know that they've both equally worked their asses off. She isn't there yet, but she wants to be.

He starts the shower, adjusting the temperature. The sound of the hissing shower needles spraying into the deep porcelain tub nearly gives her a heart attack. She flinches up and the atmosphere stirs with mist.

"Maybe we hold off, until after our five months of fairytale married life. Then, when we want to kill each other— _I say_ , we make a kid to do the job for us. I honestly didn't think you'd be so gung-ho with this." She lied, knowing from the start how often he gushes about being a father to his future son or daughter. The way that none of his foster fathers have ever been toward him. If you could call any of those animals, fathers.

He makes a, ' _hmph'_  noise.

Naruto is suddenly in front of her, hair matting around his face, perceptive eyes drinking her in smolderingly. He gathered her small fingers in his hands and pulled them up to his lips, kissing both sets of knuckles.

"If we ever manage to slip up before then, because heaven forbids the pharmacy runs out of baby eviction drugs, I want you to know that you'd be a good mom. I know that better than anyone, since—yanno, your dad called me a manchild because I gave a shitty prayer. I've never prayed a day in my life before then."

Hinata laughed, tilting her head up with mirth, "You didn't even pray then, you basically listed the food on the table and said thanks after every item."

He shrugged, "He shouldn't have put me on the spot. He singled me out gorgeous and you let me walk right into that trap. Guess we know where your loyalty lies, daddy's girl."

Hinata smiled sweetly, " _Manchild."_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending this chapter with smut and fluff was so anticlimactic but this was the only point I originally wrote up to. I hope it's ok. Don't kill me.

**Author's Note:**

> Scenario suggestions are welcomed. Kudos and comments are appreciated.


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